inside this issue

St. John Lutheran Church /4850 S. Lake Drive, Cudahy, WI 53110 / (414) 481-0520 / stjohncudahy.org

Saint John church

evangelist newsletter

QUARTERLY / March, April, May 2021

Page 1 Pastor’s Message Page 2 Worship Schedule / Safe Worship Guide

Page 3 Elders Notes

Page 4 Voters Assembly / Carillon Replacement / LCMS & SELC News

Page 5 Bible Studies / Trustee Happenings Page 6 Child Day Care / LWML

Page 7 Secretary Opportunity / Earth Riddle

Page 8 Health Tips / A Chuckle

“Return to the Lord”

This is the theme for our Lenten, Holy Week, & Easter services this year. It is based on the prophecy of Joel who proclaims the judgment of God against his wayward people in the starkest of terms. Yet, in the midst of all the gloom and doom he invites God’s people to “return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.” This theme also serves us as an invitation to start a return to in-person worship for those who have been away for awhile. It’s been a year now since the Covid lockdowns and restrictions began, but things are getting better. There are now a number of vaccines, and more and more people are getting vaccinated. Also, lockdowns are ending in places like California and New York. As these places open up many others will follow. Christianity is a corporate religion. That’s because our Lord Jesus is an incarnate God. He’s a hands on God who physically joined us in our sin, sorrow, and death in order to deliver us from them by His life, death, and resurrection. Christians are baptized into His body. We were never meant to be separate. We gather together in worship so that we may know we’re not alone in our struggles, and that we all have the same gracious God in Jesus Christ, who will deliver us with His gifts given to us in worship. Together we share our sorrows and our joys in the real presence of Jesus in worship, especially in the Lord’s Supper. Because things are getting better, I encourage all who have been away (especially if you’ve been vaccinated) to return to the Lord and fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ at St. John. We will continue with our safety and sanitation measures and our current worship schedule provides plenty of room in the sanctuary. Also, we should never forget the love, care, and protection the Lord gives to us each and everyday, so that no matter what happens, it is meant for our good. With this in mind, what better time to return to the Lord than Lent, Holy Week & Easter.

In Christ, Pastor Vesey

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Worship Schedule

Lent Services. Wednesdays March 3, 10, 17, 24

@ 4:30 pm & 7:00 pm

Palm Sunday Worship March 27 / 28

Saturday 2 & 4 pm / Sunday 9 &11am

Maundy Thursday Worship Thursday, April 1st 4:30 pm & 7:00 pm

Communion Worship

Good Friday Worship Friday, April 2nd

Noon - 3pm Scripture and Prayer 7:00 pm Service of Darkness

Easter Weekend Worship Saturday, April 3rd 2 pm & 4 pm

Easter Sunday, April 4th 9 am & 11:00 am

Communion Worship

Safe Worship Steps for Lent and Easter

Beginning in March, the 2 pm Saturday worship services will be dedicated solely to mask wearing participants. There will be a spoken liturgy and limited singing of one hymn at these 2 pm services. This will allow worshipers who feel these measures are important to have a worship service dedicated to their needs.

The other three weekend services (4 pm on Saturday / 9 am & 11 am on Sunday) will include the current recommendation of mask wearing, and will include the infusion of additional singing into the worship service. (Sung liturgy and added hymns.) These services are designed to address the requests of members who want this worship experience moving forward.

Lent services will follow this pattern as well, with the 4:30 pm worship service dedicated solely to mask wearing worshipers and the 7 pm worship service providing for a mask recommended worship experience.

Maundy Thursday 4:30 pm & 7:00 pm worship services will be mask recommended.

Good Friday 7 pm service will be a mask recommended worship experience.

Easter Sunday, the 9 am service will be dedicated solely to mask wearing worshipers. The 11am service will be a “mask recommended” worship experience.

The Elders will monitor attendance at all four weekend worship services to determine if any changes need to be made.

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COVID-19 Update:

The Elders have been meeting regularly throughout this pandemic to determine the best course of action regarding our worship service schedule, and always considering the health and safety of our members. As you have seen on the news, the COVID-19 pandemic is currently “in remission” with new case counts in the State down significantly from the all-time highs in November. CDC guidelines continue to call for everyone to wear masks in public (except for those with medical issues, etc.) and to continue with hand washing and social distancing. Please note that the new protocols that were implemented in the Fall continue to be in effect. These include:

•Continuing our current worship service model through at least April 2021. This includes maintaining our current 4 regular worship service per weekend schedule, and the delay of any additional Social Concern activities for the foreseeable future. All risk reduction practices will be followed, including physical distancing, masks/face coverings, reduced singing of hymns and liturgies (for the “2 pm Saturday” worship services), disinfecting / sanitizing after each worship service, and continuation of the “continuous individual communion” practice.

•Continuing to make masks available at all worship services (at no charge) to worshipers, and to continue the wording of “Mask usage is strongly recommended” at the three worship services, except for the 2 pm Saturday service, where mask wearing is required.

Please note that these plans were developed using the most current information available, but, as you know, circumstances change very quickly, and our plans will have to be very flexible. Please feel free to visit our St. John website often. Our plan is to update this content regarding our church activity planning, as soon as we can, reacting to changing conditions.

What else is Happening at St. John?

As you may know, many things continue to happen here at St. John. We continue to minister to our members and visitors on our website, and our Church office is staffed most of the week. The Elders have met and communicated frequently, including calls to active worshipers keeping them informed regarding worship service schedule changes. We have also stayed current with all the news, government directives and health department guidance. Pastor Vesey has implemented two programs to help our members stay “plugged in”. There are conference call devotions being held each week, designed for those members who are not as “tech savvy” as others. All that is needed is to call into a “conference” call via “Call Multiplier” and gain access to the devotion of the day. Another program that is underway is a Zoom Bible Study, that Pastor Vesey is set to implement at the end of February 2021.

What is Next for 2021?

The Elders will be looking to evaluate the procedures currently in place and determine if there are practices that we should continue with going forward (after the pandemic). One of these topics is the number of worship services we offer each weekend. The Elders would like your input as to how many and what times worship services should be made available to our members and our community. One thought is to continue with the 2 pm worship time on Saturdays (and drop the 5 pm time slot). Another thought was to continue with both 9 am and 11 am worship times on Sundays. We would love to hear your thoughts. Please call or email the Church Office or one of the Elders: (Charlie Baranowski. Jim Fahser, Jim Papala, Neil Mahnke, Scott Lucas, Peter Brandstrom) to let them know your thoughts.

Thank you for understanding as we strive to do our Lord’s Will. Please remember if you have any spiritual needs or concerns, you can always call our church office at 414-481-0520 or visit the church website at www.stjohncudahy.org. May God continue to Bless you and your loved ones.

Some Notes from the Elders …

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St. John Activities

Church Council is working with the Elders to determine the nature, timing and extent of other activities that can be offered here at St. John. We are looking at how Social Concerns, Evangelism, Stewardship, etc. can all provide meaningful activities that our members find beneficial. Please stay tuned as we talk about how some of these activities will begin serving our members again.

Carillon Replacement

For decades, people of Cudahy and worshippers in o u r S a n c t u a r y h a v e enjoyed hearing our CARILLON (recorded taped) BELLS, ringing out the great hymns of faith. Alas, our Carillon has died! Would you help to replace the old w i t h a n e w d i g i t a l Carillon to again express our faith through hymns broadcast outside and h e a r d i n s i d e o u r Sanctuary? The cost is $7,800 to replace our system. If you are willing, please use the "designated" envelopes located in the pew or included in your home offering envelopes. Thank you!

LCMS Resolution & SELC Convention

The resolution for “pushing back” the LCMS Convention to 2023 passed our Voters Assembly on January 24, 2021. The results were transmitted to LCMS and we will know the overall results sometime after February 15, 2021. The next SELC District Convention was scheduled for April 15-18, 2021, at St. Steven’s Lutheran Church in St. Louis, MO. However, assuming this resolution passes with the responding congregations, the SELC District has indicated that it will push the Convention date back to April 2022.

Voter’s Assembly Decisions

As noted in our last article in the Winter 2020 Evangelist, the Elders were looking to develop a matrix regarding when to add back more music to our worship services. We recognize the importance of this component of our worship services to maintain our spiritual health. We understand that some members are hesitant to participate in any activity that could increase the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. All these varying opinions were considered and vetted at our Elders’ Meeting. It was decided to discuss this topic at the Voters’ Assembly on Jan. 24, 2021.

The Voters Assembly met on Sunday, January 24, 2021 and a report from the Elders included our current COVID-19 protocols and operating practices. Discussion occurred regarding plans for moving forward into 2021. Suggestions were received to consider allowing more singing at worship services like we had at Christmas Eve. The consensus at the Voters Assembly was to provide a “less singing” worship service at the “earlier” worship service time and a “more singing” worship service at the “later” worship service time. Mask usage is still a preferred protocol.

Voter’s Assembly Plans

Please watch for upcoming information regarding our June 2021 Voters’ Assembly. A specific date has not yet been set, but the agenda will include election of our Church Officers and members of the various Boards, as well as the adoption of the budget for 2021-22. Please consider volunteering for one of these positions to help continue the work here at St. John.

Please note that we are in need of a Church Council Secretary, who would take minutes at the Council meetings as well at the Voters Assembly. We also have openings on almost all the Boards. Please consider volunteering for one of these positions, as we all work to accomplish God’s Will here at St. John. Please contact Jim Papala, acting President, Pastor Vesey, or the Church office at 414-481-0520 to express your desire to help in any of these capacities.

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Trustee Happenings

We are happy to welcome more volunteers that help to keep our church clean. Betty Kramer and Marie McGeary each help once a month by cleaning and vacuuming the office, the church narthex and bathrooms. Our rugs were shampooed by Pete Brandstrom, and Charlie Baranowski. That really brightened them and they smell so fresh. One can see other cleaning is being done such as windows, dusting, and vacuuming by some anonymously. If you would like to get in on the "action" please contact any trustee for a list of opportunities available to make St. John’s sparkle.

Trustees include: Pat Mueller, Ron Wield, Jeff Damask, Darwin Pavlik, Ken Peck, Mark Simmons

With spring not too far away we will be turning our attention to our front yard. Please share your expertise and or knowledge to make the effort successful. Our current project is securing a company to install a new phone system for the church and day care. On going repairs include replacing smoke detectors and fire extinguishers as needed. Our meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 4:30. Come join us when you can. Stay well.

“GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE …” JOHN 3:16.

God continues to give us the assurance of His forgiveness, our salvation and life eternal through faith in Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit the will and strength to do what is right. "When God's Word encounters us, either preached or printed, it is received in faith [by God's doing] or rejected [by man's doing]." Rev Matthew Harrison.

Whether you worship in person or for health reasons privately or on-line always ask, “What does God through Jesus want to give me? “

The Monday night Bible study continues to explore all that God wants to give us in our Divine Service each week. The Tuesday morning men's Bible study is exploring being "Joyfully Lutheran". Pastor Vesey has a daily recorded Devotion for those who give him their name and phone number. Pastor Vesey also has a Zoom Galatians Bible study on Sunday night at 6:30 pm available to those who send their email address to pastor.stjohn@yahoo.com. We also have Daily Devotions mailed to members and available at the church office. This all in addition to weekly worship either in per or on-line.

Even in the midst of a pandemic God truly continues to richly provide for us in His Word. The theme for Lent and Easter is "Return to the Lord". So whether you return in person or from the safety of your home may you richly receive all God wants to give you. Roy Lemmer, Stewardship Evangelism Board

Pastor Krueger's Thursday Bible Study RESUMES on MARCH 11 at 1:30 -- 2:30pm.

The COVID Pandemic played havoc with our Bible Study during the first half of 2020. The Class decided to gather for a review of our Basic Lutheran Teachings during the summer, using a "final exam" for the 8th Grade Confirmation Classes that Pastor Krueger taught to determine if the individual 8th Graders would be "ready" for Confirmation. We had a marvelous and fun time with our review, and deeper investigation, of what we believe as Lutherans. This study continued right up to our hiatus in November. Thursday, March 11th at 1:30 pm we will begin a quick review of our previous studies, and then PICK UP where we left off. We hope all our past students will return, and we WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS any new interested persons to join us. Please bring your own Bibles to underline and to take notes. We have been using the "New International Version" translation of the Old and New Testament (these are the Bibles we have had in our pew racks). Any new student will be furnished with one of these Bibles for free! Using the same translation and version of the Bible makes it easier for everyone to be "on the same page" (especially when Pastor gives the page numbers!). We try to keep the Bible Study to one hour, and the time just flies! Please join the Study; tell your friends; better yet - bring your friends! Even as the COVID vaccinations are occurring, we will still plan on social distancing, and face masks are always welcome.

TRUSTING GOD TURNS

PROBLEMS

INTO

OPPORTUNITIES.

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St. John Day Care:

50 Years Showing God’s Love to Children

As the limitations surrounding the pandemic continue, things were very different for all of us. We missed having our annual Christmas program in December, but we were able to have Santa make a “socially distant” visit to the children. The children have been getting a lot of outside play in the snow, but I we are all looking forward to Spring.

As we get closer to Easter, the children will be doing many Easter related projects and Pastor Vesey will be talking about Easter with the children during devotions. As we approach May, instead of Mother’s Day, our children celebrate Family Day and create presents to bring home. In May, we will have another “Culver’s Day”, so put May 3rd on your calendar. Our hope is that some of the restrictions we’ve been under will ease up so that we can look forward to field trips again in the summer.

Karen Erickson, Child Day Care Director

Lutheran Women's Missionary League

The need for workers in the mission field is just as important during this Covid pandemic as ever! LWML MEMBERS: Let's "double down" and collect our gifts for missions to be ready for our next gathering. Look for the big purple LWML box in the Church narthex the weekend of March 11-14. Our meeting will be Tuesday March 16 at 1:30 pm. We will watch a short mission video and complete a mission project.

Remember our adopted missionary family, the Charles Ferry family still in Taiwan. Their furlough was postponed because of the Covid Pandemic. We will need to send our last installment pledge soon, so please bring your pledge along with your MITES as mission gifts to the meeting. All women who are interested in the mission to reach people for Jesus are encouraged to attend. Call Dianne if you need a ride at the number below.

For your calendars! We just received word that our Zone 1 Spring Rally will be held on Saturday, April 10, 2021, from 9-11 am at Lutheran Chapel of the Cross. We will hear Joanne Ellis from Heart to Heart Ministries. This should be a great Rally. We will observe all CDC guidelines as far as mask wearing, social distancing, and hand sanitizing. Hope to see you there! You do not need to be a "member of the LWML". All ladies are welcome to attend. If you need a ride, please call Dianne Krueger at 414-762-9257.

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Part Time Church Secretary Position:

Yes, after 29 years of serving St. John Church family as our Church Secretary (and various other roles), Anne Brandstrom has requested that her hours be reduced to include only the duties associated with the roles of Financial & Membership Secretary. The Board of Elders have approved this request. The full-time position has been divided into two part time positions, effective May 1, 2021. The open, part time Church Secretary position will report to the Board of Elders, have established office hours of approximately 20 hours/week, and have the following responsibilities:

Church Secretary Responsibilities:

• Bulletins: Construct and produce bulletins: Weekly/Lent/Advent/Funerals/Weddings • Church Mailings: Oversee official church mailings, Including Evangelist, Elder or Council mailings, etc. • Lector Readings: Create and mail the Scripture Introductions and Readings weekly to Lectors • Calendars: Create and maintain the Master Church Wall Calendar and ACS (online) / Monthly • Prepare for Worship Page: Create for Elders, Altar Guild, Lectors, Acolytes, Greeters, Ushers • Schedules: Organize, schedule and communicate as needed: Elder on Duty – Altar Calendar – Acolytes • Distribute Prayer Chain • Oversee Bulletin Boards • Oversee Outdoor Church sign messages • General Communications: Mail / Correspondence / emails / phone calls • General Upkeep: Pick up Altar Area and Narthex • General Office: Keep office machines in working condition, including knowledge on how to use and

operate all office equipment, order supplies as needed, accept deliveries, handle Confirmation related duties, open and lock church during normal office hours, etc.

• Oversee Office Inventory • Special Projects and Mailings as needed (ex: Voters Assembly) • Maintain and file official Church meeting minutes: Council, Elders, Voters’ Assembly, etc. • Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities needed: Computer knowledge / keyboarding; organizational skills, ability to communicate well verbally and in writing, must be detail oriented.

The Elders are currently receiving applications, resumes, and cover letters from individuals interested in becoming our general Church Secretary. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in serving St. John in this position, please contact the Church Office at 414-481-0520. We want to fill the position to allow for cross-training prior to May 1, 2021. Any questions, please contact one of the Elders. (Charlie Baranowski. Jim Fahser, Jim Papala, Neil Mahnke, Scott Lucas, Peter Brandstrom)

WHY SHOULD YOU BE GRATEFUL FOR THE

ROTATION OF THE EARTH?

It can really make your day!