newsletter - St. John's United Methodist Church

If you would like to put something in the
newsletter please email it to
[email protected]
or drop it off at the Church by Wed. noon.
February 1, 2015 - Visit us Online at TheNewStJohns.com
Lose Your “Buts”
Reflection on Exodus 3:11-14 & 4:10-13
Exodus 3:11-14:
But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before
Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I
am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people
out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell
them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will
ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of
Israel: I am has sent me to you.”
Exodus 4:10-13:
This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all
generations.
But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good
with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you
have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth?
Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do
not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will
be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
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Moses was full of excuses as to why he shouldn't be the one
to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. "Who am I? What should I
tell them? I am not good with words. Send anyone else."
Have you said any of these before? Have you made excuses
for why you can't do the thing that God has called you to do?
"I am too busy. I am not qualified enough. What will people
think?"
Over and over in the Bible and throughout history, God calls
ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Though we may
feel weak or incompetent to do the task that God calls us to
do, it is God that gives us strength. When Moses pleaded with
God to choose someone else, God's response was, "I will be
with you." As we form our mission statements, don't be afraid
of what it might say and don't make excuses. God has
instilled in you the ability to do great things and God is
already at work in you and in the situation that God places on
your heart. This week try to answer the following questions.
Ask God to forgive and remove your excuses today:
 What are your common excuses?
 What self-limiting beliefs hold you back?
Director of Contemporary Music
The Staff Parish Relations Committee is accepting
applications for the position of Director of Contemporary
Music. Interested candidates must be a practicing Christian,
proficient in all styles of contemporary music, available for
worship on Sundays beginning at 10 am (service begins at
11:00 am), available to lead the Praise Team in rehearsals
(currently on Thursdays at 6:30 pm), and able to successfully
pass a background check. This is approximately a 10 hours
per week, part-time position. Salary is commensurate with
ability, experience and training. Please contact Pastor Sheryl if
you or someone you know might be interested.
OMG-University
The Outspoken, Mature, and Generous group is a small group
of adults in their 40's-50's (and a little beyond). Their
objective is to strengthen bonds with Christ and build
supportive relationships between families and friends of St
John's through conversation, activities, and service projects.
They are starting an new effort called OMG university to
educate people on popular and important topics impacting our
everyday lives. In some cases the topics will be targeting local
issues, while others may be important national or international
subjects. Their intention is to educate participants so they can
make informed decisions.
Their program does not intend to force an agenda or lobby for
a position on a topic. They are primarily concerned with
educating and letting you make up your own mind. They hope
that all participants will come with an open mind and a
Christian spirit. The format is to watch a video covering a
topic of interest and follow it with an open discussion so that
everyone can come away with a better understanding of the
topic, and can prayerfully consider any next actions they feel
are needed. They will also have finger foods at each event,
and have a chance to catch up with friends.
During the first session they
will watch and discuss
“Inequality for All,” a
documentary that follows
former U.S. Labor Secretary
Robert Reich as he looks to
raise awareness of the country's
widening economic gap. It will take place on Sat, Feb. 7 at
6:30 pm at the home of Kevin and Mary Ann Autenrieb (3781
Raymond Road, Edwardsville).
Handbell Choir
The Handbell Choir will resume
regular rehearsals on Wed, Feb. 4,
at 6:30 pm. New ringers are
welcome! If you are over the age of
12 and can read music, you can ring
bells.
Book Discussion Group
The St. John’s Book Group will be
meeting on Sun, Feb. 8 at 5:30 pm to
discuss The Faith Club at the home of
Jeri Lampman. The Faith Club is a true
story written by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne
Oliver, and Priscilla Warner, all
women of different faiths. The book
was born out of the tragedy of 9-11 and
tells the story of three American
women searching for faith and mutual
respect within their religions. This
book will be a good way to discuss the
issues, differences, as well as the
mutual beliefs of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. The book
group is open to all, but please RSVP to Jeri at
[email protected].
Prayer Requests
This week I will pray for:
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The military and their families, including from St. John’s:
Jared Meyer; Matt and Andrew Oller; Jared Kerntke; RJ
Taylor; Todd and Hope Schissel; and Joseph & Elizabeth
Traylor.
Donna Gardner, who is back at Anderson Hospital with a
partially obstructed small intestine. Also, prayers for Scott
and the rest of the family.
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Neena Pontious, who is recovering from back surgery.
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Harold Rich, who is recovering from a fall.
The family of Marion Richards, due to her passing on
January 17.
Jananne Threlkeld’s friend Sharon, who is dealing with a
difficult cancer surgery.
Tom Finley’s friend, Scott, who has been diagnosed with
an aneurysm in one lung.
Linda Overbeck’s daughter, Sam, who has Bell's Palsy and
a friend, Denise, with complications from her cancer
treatment.
Barb Deck’s friend, Christine, who is recovering from
major surgery.
Anita and Bob Runge’s friend, Mary, who will be
undergoing breast cancer surgery soon.
Nancy Carey’s friend, Chris, who has been diagnosed with
an inoperable brain tumor and has been given a year to
live. Also, prayers for his wife, Kathy, and their family.
Nancy Carey’s daughter’s Aunt Elizabeth, who is in the
final stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Also, prayers for the
family.
Bob and Carolyn Pulliam request prayers for Richard,
Marcia and Byron, who are undergoing chemotherapy,
Melissa, who is undergoing treatment for a herniated disk,
and Gloria, whose husband passed away recently.
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Card Tables Needed
St. John’s Youth would like to borrow card tables in order to
transform our Ministry Center into an elegant restaurant!
Please write your name under each table so that it can be
returned to you. Tables may be placed in Fellowship Hall by
Feb. 13 and picked up on Feb. 15. Thank you!
Servant Opportunities
There are places to serve both
within St. John’s and beyond our
walls. Sign up at the Servant Center
table or the church website. Please
check back often to see how you can
plug-in:
Serving Within the Church
 Loan your card table to the Youth for their Valentine
Dinner on Feb. 14 (see article at left).
Serving Beyond the Walls
 Participate in the monthly Bridge Bread ministry by
picking up bread in St. Louis on the Saturday before the
sale or working at a table to sell the bread on Sunday
mornings.
 Participate in the Winter Patrol ministry by going on a
Wednesday evening outing, or donating needed items.
 Prepare sack meals on a Wednesday afternoon to be taken
on Winter Patrol, or donate food items for the meals.
 Help distribute food at the TWIGS Mobile Market on Tue,
Feb. 3 in Granite City. Set-up is between 9 and 11, and the
distribution is between 11 and 1.
 Assemble backpacks of food for needy children in Granite
City on Thu, Feb. 5 at 6:30 pm at Trinity UMC.
 Do construction work between 8 am-12 pm on Saturdays
at the Faith Coalition house at 922 Grand Ave in
Edwardsville.
New Bible Study Beginning
On Thu, Jan. 29, the Thursday Morning Bible Study will
begin a new 24-week session called "The Greatest
Controversies of Early Christian History." This class will
consist of audio lectures given by Bart Ehrman, a professor of
religion at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr.
Ehrman will discuss such topics as: Was Jesus Born in
Bethlehem?; Is the book of Revelation about our future?; Did
early Christians accept the trinity?; Was Jesus' mother a
virgin? - and many more. If you are interested in joining a
lecture/discussion on this type of information, please join us
at 9:30 am Thursday mornings at the church in Rm. 105.
15th Annual Youth Valentine Dinner ~ Feb. 14, 5-7 pm at St. John’s
Menu
Steak, Italian Vegetables and Pasta Primavera
OR Full Order of Pasta Primavera
All Meals Come With Salad, Bread & Dessert
Childcare available with free child’s meal
$18/person, $36/couple Carry outs are available
Name________________________________________
Phone________________________________________
Steak _______ (Qty)
Pasta _______ (Qty)
Total _______ ($)
Need Childcare______________ (# children & ages)
Make checks payable to St. Johns and put “Valentine Dinner” in
the memo. A member of the Youth will contact you to confirm
your order. If you have a large group please let us know, and we
will give you a reservation time.
Youth Ministry
Sunday School Middle School (MS) Sunday School
meets every Sunday from 10:05-10:50
am in Rm. 201.
High School (HS) Sunday School meets
every Sunday from 10:05 to 10:50 am in
Rm. 202.
Confirmation
MS Youth
Group
HS Youth
Group
Confirmation (8th Grade) meets every
Sunday from January until May from 122 pm in Rm.130 (see article below).
First Look (Preschoolers & Kindergarten)
Our Theme for February is “I ♥ You!” and the
Bottom Line is “Jesus Loves Me”
No matter how much love and how many ♥s we shower on
our favorite people, it will never be anything compared to the
love that Jesus has for us. Jesus’ love is immeasurable. It’s
wide and long and high and deep. It’s forever. It’s huge. It’s
awesome. It’s what we want our preschoolers to know about
this month. We’re going to tell some love stories this month.
No, not the Hallmark channel ones—the real ones from the
Bible. The ones that show us how much Jesus loves us.
Feb. 1, 5-7 - Super Bowl Party (bring a
snack to share)
Feb. 8, 6-8 - XP3 Discussion & Games
Feb. 13, 6-8 - Valentine’s Dinner set-up
Feb. 14, 4-8 - Valentine’s Dinner
Fundraiser
Feb. 15 - NO Youth Group
Take a look at the video for this month:
http://vimeo.com/114275475
Feb. 1, 5-7 - Super Bowl Party (bring a
snack to share)
Feb. 8, 6-8 - XP3 Discussion
Feb. 13, 6-8 - Valentine’s Dinner set-up
Feb. 14, 4-8 - Valentine’s Dinner
Fundraiser
Feb. 15 - NO Youth Group
Our Theme for February is “Undercover Kindness”
and the Life App is “Kindness”
When you look at the life of Jesus, He demonstrated kindness
all the time. But He not only showed kindness to others, He
actually flipped the whole idea of kindness on its head and
redefined it for not only His disciples, but all of us.
Growth Group Feb. 11 - Meet at Denny's Glen Carbon
HS Bible Study from 6-7 pm and bring $3.
Please contact Steve Morby at 618.975.5352 or
[email protected] with questions.
Memory Verse
Our memory verse this month is “How wide and long and
high and deep is the love of Christ.” Ephesians 3:18 NIrV
252 Basics (1st to 5th Grade)
He showed kindness to all people. People who were
marginalized. People with bad reputations. Children, beggars,
the sick and outcast, all people—regardless of whether they
could return the kindness given to them. That’s why we’re
taking the whole month to look more closely at kindness:
showing others they are valuable by how you treat them.
Take a look at the video for this month:
http://vimeo.com/112074427
February 1 Confirmation Class
This Sunday our confirmands are learning about the
difference between Church and Worship. Church is a
community of people who worship God together, learn about
Jesus, and practice faith through service. Here's something to
think about: What's the difference between going to church
and being the church? Check out our blog for more about this
topic and other questions to ponder on the Confirmation page
of the church website at www.thenewstjohns.com.
Church Dine to Donate
If you go to Texas Roadhouse in Edwardsville after church on
any Sunday, be sure to take a copy of our church bulletin.
Give it to your server and St. John’s will receive 10% of your
total bill. It’s an easy way to help raise a little extra funds for
St. John’s!
Memory Verse
Our memory verse this month is “Do to others as you want
them to do to you.” Luke 6:31, NIrV
Widget: Kindness Box
Unless you were raised in a barn,
you probably know what it means
to be kind (scratch that—even
Wilbur the pig was pretty good at
being kind). But knowing
kindness and showing kindness
are two different things. With this
month’s widget, the KINDNESS
BOX, families will be on the alert
to catch each other showing
kindness. When they do, they are to write down what they see
on a slip of paper and drop it into the Kindness Box. At the
end of the month, families can sit down to celebrate with ice
cream (or hot cocoa!) and read through their stories of
kindness from the entire month.
St. John’s UMC
Our Purpose
Our Vision
Our Core Values
7372 Marine Rd, Edwardsville
To lead people into a
growing relationship with
Jesus Christ.
To be a beacon of faith and
service, focusing our
passions and gifts to reflect
Christ’s love to the world.
Knowing, loving and serving
God.
618.656.1853
thenewstjohns.com
Join us for worship at 9 or 11 am
Presentation on Saudi Arabia
Upcoming Birthdays
Luke Snell, Emeritus Professor of Construction, will be
presenting a program entitled "Saudi Arabia, Dealing with
Change" on Thu, Feb. 12 from 7-8 pm at the Main Street
Community Center. His wife, Billie, will be wearing an outfit
that women have to wear in Saudi Arabia. Luke and Billie
were longtime members of St. John’s until they relocated to
Arizona.
Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the USA has always been
rocky. Today our interests are comingled. We need their oil
and they depend on us for security. Neither country likes this
dependence on each other. Saudi Arabia is facing several
challenges as the world around them is changing. This
presentation will discuss some of those changes and how it
affects our relationships with them that Dr. Snell has
witnessed over 30 years of working in Saudi Arabia.
Feb. 1
Lois Green
Dave Levy
Feb. 2
Jim Craig
Scott Payne
Carl Green
Adam Sarabia
Jackie Snider
Jackson Schwent
Feb. 11 Jenice Belling
Ron Vinyard
Bonny Bratten
Feb. 3
Helen Davie
Katie Maxwell
Feb. 4
Alek Ziegler
Feb. 5
Brian Downes
Dylan Peel
Robert Smith
Kylie Peel
Koralyn
Molly Peel
Gruenkemeyer
Sandy Tiahrt
Dillon Henderson
Robin Umbaugh
Feb. 8
There is a new group of ACA called “Children of Hope” that
meets each Tuesday at 7:30 pm in Rm. 105. The group
focuses on a 12 step healing process for those raised in
dysfunctional, traumatic, abusive or alcoholic families/homes.
Cathryn Reed
Valerie Sweatt
Feb. 6
Adult Children of Alcoholics
Feb. 10 Cameron Hollway
Feb. 9
Feb. 12 Gavin Guttmann
Aubree Kloostra
Feb. 13 Austin Bauer
Drew Pigeon
Feb. 14 Emily Fornof
Rosina Denkyirah
St. John’s Calendar: February 1-14
Sunday
1
Monday
2
Tuesday
3
Coffee Fellowship, FH, Open Walking, MC, TWIGS Mobile
Market, Trinity
8:30-11am
8am
UMC, 9am
Traditional Worship,
Library Team,
MC, 9am
Library, 9:30am Staff Parish
Relations, Rm
Sunday School, Whole Bread for the World,
127, 6:30pm
First Presbyterian,
Church, 10:05am
11:30am
ELL, FH, 7pm
Children’s Choir, Rm
Girl Scout Troop
UMW Wesley
114, 10:55am
#211, FH, 5:15pm Circle, Rm 105,
Contemporary
7pm
Worship, MC, 11am Cancer Support &
Inspiration, Jeri
Men’s Group, Rm
Confirmation, Rm 127, Lampman’s
202, 7pm
12pm
6:30pm
Adult Children of
Youth Group Super
Girl Scout Troop
Alcoholics, Rm
Bowl Party, Whole
#355, Rm 127,
105, 7:30pm
Church, 5-7pm
6:30pm
Outreach Team, Rm
105, 6:30pm
Wednesday
4
Thursday
5
Friday
Saturday
6
7
UMW Board Mtg, Rm Open Walking, MC, Pastor Sheryl’s
105, 9am
7:30am
Day Off
Men’s Small
Group, FH, 8am
Fantasy Football
Awards Banquet,
FH & Kitchen,
Staff Mtg, Rm 107,
World Religions
Parents Group, Rm
8:30am
Study, Rm 105,
12:30pm
124, 6pm
Faith Coalition
8:45am
Organist Practice, MC,
Liquid Small
Renovation, 922
Bible Study, Rm 105, Group, Jeri
2pm
Grand Ave in
Lampman’s,
9:30am
Edwardsville,
Winter Patrol
6:30pm
8am-12pm
Homeless Ministry,
Worship Design
Downtown St. Louis,
Team, Library,
Narcotics
OMG University,
Anonymous, FH,
6pm
6pm
Autenrieb’s,
8:15pm
6:30pm
Handbell Choir
Pack a Sack, Trinity
UMW General Mtg,
FH, 12 pm
Practice, MC, 6:30pm
Al-Anon, Rm 105,
7:30pm
Changing Habits, Rm Mom 2 Mom, Rm
105, 8am
202, 9:30am
UMC, 6:30pm
Praise Band Practice,
MC, 6:30pm
Choir Practice, Rm
130, 7:30pm
Boy Scouts, FH,
7pm
8
9
10
Boy Scout Sunday
Open Walking, MC, Men’s Group, Rm
8am
202, 7pm
Coffee Fellowship, FH,
Girl Scout Troop
Adult Children of
8:30-11am
#211, FH, 5:15pm Alcoholics, Rm
Traditional Worship,
105, 7:30pm
Boy Scouts, FH,
MC, 9am
7pm
Sunday School, Whole
Church, 10:05am
11
12
Staff Mtg, Rm 107,
1pm
Open Walking, MC, Pastor Sheryl’s
7:30am
Day Off
14
Organist Practice, MC, Changing Habits, Rm Mom 2 Mom, Rm
2pm
105, 8am
202, 9:30am
Children’s Choir, Rm
114, 10:55am
Winter Patrol
World Religions
Homeless Ministry,
Study, Rm 105,
Downtown St. Louis,
8:45am
6pm
Greater Gateway
Growth Group,
Assoc of Realtors,
Denny’s, 6pm
FH, 9am-2:30pm
Contemporary
Worship, MC, 11am
Quilting for God, Rm
203, 6pm
Confirmation, Rm 127,
12pm
Handbell Choir
Praise Band Practice,
Practice, MC, 6:30pm MC, 6:30pm
Book Discussion
Group, Jeri
Lampman’s, 5:30pm
Young Adult Group,
Rm 202, 7pm
Youth Group, Whole
Church, 6pm
13
Valentine Dinner
Set-up, Whole
Church, 6-8pm
Narcotics
Anonymous, FH,
8:15pm
Men’s Small
Group, FH, 8am
Faith Coalition
Renovation, 922
Grand Ave in
Edwardsville,
8am-12pm
Youth Valentine
Dinner, Whole
Church, 5-7pm
Bible Study, Rm 105,
9:30am
Al-Anon, Rm 105,
7:30pm
Choir Practice, Rm
130, 7:30pm
FH - Fellowship Hall
MC - Ministry Center