Announcements
ANNOUNCEMENTS and NOTICES
August 11, 2019
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Collect of the Day – Almighty and merciful God, it is by Your grace that we live as Your people who offer acceptable service. Grant that we may walk by faith, and not by sight, in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Sunday Morning Bible Study – This summer our Sunday morning Bible study (8 a.m.) will be studying our favorite stories of the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy). The title of next week’s study from the book of Numbers is: “Numbers: God’s Church Membership Clean-Up Project.”
Burt Church Social - Join us Saturday, August 25, starting at 4:45 p.m. for our summer church social with Burt Presbyterian! This event will help us get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ at Burt Presbyterian as we begin to look into ways to show Christ's love and mercy to our community together with them. See the handout on the back table and sign the sheet in back so we can get an idea of how much food/drink to prepare.
Summer Midweek Divine Service - Would you like to receive God's Word and Sacrament during the week? Whether you couldn't make it Sunday, or you've got a weekend camping trip planned, or you just enjoy receiving God's gifts: we've got what you need! St. John's is offering our final summer Wednesday spoken Divine Service on Aug. 21 at 7:00 p.m. Plan on the service lasting around a half hour.
Partnership Rally Day - Join us Sunday, September 8th at 10:30 a.m. at Smith Lake for our 2nd Annual Partnership Rally Day! Bring your lawn chair as we join with Trinity to pray God's blessing on a new year of Christian education at our churches. We'll begin with a short prayer service including the presenting of Bibles and Catechisms, followed by lunch and games. The service and lunch will be on the east side of the lake (the same location as last year). We will still also have our regularly scheduled worship service at St. John's at 9:00 a.m. that morning.
Education Meeting – Our Sunday School/Religion School meeting for parents, students, and teachers will be Wednesday, September 4th at 6:30 p.m. The first day of Sunday School is September 8th and the first day of Religion School is September 11th.
Thrivent Action Teams - Do you receive your insurance or other services through Thrivent Financial? If you do, you are eligible to apply for two $250 gift cards per year to go toward service projects for your church or community. If you would like for St. John's to utilize your Thrivent Action Card toward a service project, please talk to Pastor Cowell and he can discuss with you opportunities to do so.
Parish Messenger Articles for the September/October edition is due to Linda Kerkove on August 25th.
New Flocknote Group at St. John's - We've added a new group to our Flocknote text/email system called "St. John's Volunteers." This group will receive a message any time St. John's is in need of volunteers (such as for VBS, Burt Day church coffee, a Sunday School sub, Christmas decorating, bringing cookies for an event, etc.). Subscribing to this group doesn't obligate you to help out with every event. We would simply send out a message requesting help and you would have the opportunity to respond with "yes, I can help," or "no, I can't help." This specific Flocknote group was created so that only people who are interested in volunteer opportunities are receiving these messages and not the entire congregation.
- If you're interested, please sign up on the sheet on the back table.
- These requests for volunteers will also always be posted in our weekly announcements.
- If you are interested in signing up for any other Flocknote groups or updating your preferences, see the information sheet on the side table in the back of church or talk to Pastor Cowell.
Church Roof Fund – Due to your swift and generous contributions, our savings account has been replenished from the roof expenses. However we continue to have a growing list of capital maintenance and improvement projects, which include cleaning and repairing the siding, painting the sanctuary, and others. If you had planned on giving toward the roof and haven’t yet, we encourage you to give toward the repair and upkeep of the church by designating an amount on the “Capital Growth” line of your offering envelope. With your help we can continue to make St. John’s a functional and beautiful place to share the gospel!
This Week in the Church Year
Feast Days: 8/15: St. Mary, Mother of our Lord
Commemorations: 8/16: Isaac; 8/17: Johann Gerhard, Theologian
Biographies of the saints we commemorate throughout the year as well as prayers for special feast days in the Church Year are available on the back table. This information is also available in the Treasury of Daily Prayer, the PrayNow iPhone app by CPH, or the LCMS Eurasia Facebook page. Talk with Pastor Cowell if you have any questions about these resources.
Lectionary Summaries – Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-16; Luke 12 :22-34 (35-40)
The Lord Is Surely Coming to Give You His Kingdom
The Lord Himself was Abraham’s shield and great reward. For “the word of the Lord came to him” and sustained the patriarch’s faith in the face of death (Gen. 15:4). By divine grace, Abraham “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6), on account of the holy Seed, Christ Jesus. To that one old man, the Lord granted “descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore” (Heb. 11:12). The Lord is likewise faithful to you. It is His glad desire “to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Therefore, “do not be anxious about your life,” but instead “seek his kingdom” (Luke 12:22, 31). Set your heart on that treasure. “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning … for the Son of Man is coming” (Luke 12:35, 40).
This Week at St. John’s – (August 11, 2019-August 18, 2019)
Ushers for August: *Clark Christensen & Jesse Fitzgerald Elder for July: Jerry Koestler
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