St. John Lutheran Church

THE ST. JOHN NEWS January 2019

Imagine your life as a nomad, one who wanders from place to place, from home to home, job to job. Uncertainty would much more rule your life than you are used to. A life without tethers would be filled with anxiety and fear. What a blessing it is to have a home you can call your own and return to each day. How blessed we are to be at peace in a land where we are not forced to move away out of fear for our safety. A consistent job and source of income provides for all of your basic needs of body and life. All of these and so much more are gifts from our good and gracious God. Within the Church, we are also thankful to have the Church year calendar to give us a tether in the Christian faith. Devotional books direct you in a certain pathway of study. Imagine not having any guidance on how to read the Bible. Where would you begin? What would you read? How would you come to understand all that is contained in those 66 books written by over 40 authors over a 1,500-year period? The Church year cal-endar is that direction we as Christians need every day. You may not be aware, but many days of the year have been selected by the historic Christian Church as days of celebration and remembrance. We know the major ones regarding the life of our Lord Jesus Christ: his birth at Christmas, his manifesta-tion to the Magi at Epiphany, his death on Good Friday, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Yet there are so many more. And they have been highlighted on the Church’s calendar for the benefit of the whole Christian Church. Each of the days throughout the year that are highlighted have Bible readings assigned to them that are relevant and are in some way connected to the day. As we continue on in our lives as the Church some 2,000 years removed from the time of Christ and the apostles, we may feel adrift in the constant flowing of time. The feast days and festival days of the Church year pro-vide us a connection with all of our Christian ancestors who have gone before us. The world around us seems to be constant-ly changing in so many ways. But, the Word of God remains the same throughout it all (Matthew 24:35). As you prepare for the new year ahead, sticking with your ever-consistent routine, I encourage you to remain in the Word of God. That is, read it, mark it, learn it, and inwardly digest it, as our collect for the Word has said. If this is not something you have done regularly, it is not too late to start! Our Lutheran Study Bible has a two-year Bible reading plan marked out in the front pages of the book. Our hymnal, along with the study Bi-ble, list out the readings for the three-year lectionary along with the one-year lectionary. Portals of Prayer is available from our church to give you a devotion to read every day, along with some helpful and timely prayers listed in the back. Such a regular reading of the Bible gives you and me a constant

anchor in the midst of an ever-changing world. Just as you feel like something is missing when you do not start your week with church on Sunday, so your day does not feel the same without reading God’s Word and turning to him in prayer. God’s Word is the very source of our salvation. We are blessed to hear it and receive it on Sundays, but even more so to hear it and read it every day! With so much changing all around you, take comfort and solidarity in the Word of God that remains the same in your everyday life. The celebration of Christmas has once again come and gone. The month of January seems to be long and emptier with Christ-mas come and gone. Yet, there remains a plethora of events and Christians on the Church year calendar for you to celebrate and upon which you can reflect. Each of these provide you a further opportunity to read God’s Word and to learn more about what Christ has done for you and how he has used those saints who have gone before us. Here are the major events for the month of January:

January 1 The Circumcision and Name of Jesus 2 J. K. Wilhelm Loehe—Pastor 6 The Epiphany of Our Lord 10 Basil the Great of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa— Pastors and Confessors 18 The Confession of St. Peter 24 St. Timothy—Pastor and Confessor 25 The Conversion of St. Paul 26 St. Titus—Pastor and Confessor 27 John Chrysostom—Preacher Treasury of Daily Prayer is another great resource for daily de-votional use. It includes an Old Testament reading, New Testa-ment reading, and a Gospel reading for each day. It also utilizes a hymn verse in conjunction with the day along with a prayer. And, if the day is a special one on the Church year calendar, then a brief summary of the person or event will be included as well. The Lord bless you and keep you this new year as you grow in God’s Word and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! In service to Christ and his Word, and to you, his people,

Pastor Caithamer

Appreciating the Church Year Calendar Encouragement for Remaining in the Word

For Peace and Comfort: Ken & Karen and family at the death of Ken’s son Stephen

Following Surgery: Lydia, Herb, Michael For Healing and Recovery: Roy -father of Anne, Mavis, 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, Merv, Todd -grandson of Harold, John, Tom

For Successful Treatments: Phyllis, Roxy, Todd-husband of Kim , Dan -father of Beth, Philip-son of Starley, Jeanette, Joan, Nancy, Maxine

For Strength, Hope, and Peace: Joe -father of Pastor Caithamer

For our Military: 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, Jan 10th, at 7:00am.

Let Us Pray

FAITH & FAMILY NIGHT – Families with children of all ages are invited to join us on Friday, January 4, 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 of course, have playtime for the kids. 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 Cindy . We hope to see you there!

Save the date! Do you love to ice skate, or would you like to give it a try? The annual St. John Ice Skating Party will be on Saturday, January 5th from 4:30-6:30pm at the U of I Ice Arena. There is no charge for this family fellowship event!

Youth Group News Come out for the Ice Skating party on January 5th from 4:30-6:30pm at the UI Ice Arena and enjoy a fun night with friends and family. This free event is hosted by St. John PTF. Thank you to all who donated food for the Advent dinners! Thank you to all who came and enjoyed a the meal with us! Your support is much

appreciated!

National Youth Gathering 2019 - if you haven’t registered, contact Kim Schmidt ASAP to be included in this awesome opportunity next summer.

E.A.T. @ Panera

The January E.A.T. night

will be at Panera on Kirby Ave on Monday,

January 14, 4-8pm. Panera is giving back 20% on purchases! The flyer

will be on the narthex table. Spread the word to

your family & friends!

LWML invites the women of St. John to a

Soup Supper and Bible Study at the St. John

LWML January 28, 2019 in the

Fellowship Hall at 6:30pm.

Please come and enjoy fun and

fellowship with warm soup

and pie including a helping of

God’s Word.

LIFELIGHT is back! Join us for Romans, Part 2, a 9-week Bible study. You can join us Wednesday evenings at 5:45, Thursday mornings at 9:30, or (if there's sufficient interest) Thursday evenings at 6:30. Classes start January 16-17. If you missed fall's study of Part 1, don't let that stop you: You can step right in! Look for our table in the overflow to sign up or contact Neil, Matt or Eunice .

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. In Stock cards are available in between services

on Sunday Mornings and during school office hours. Visit www.shopwithscrip.com for the complete list of

vendors.

January Order Dates: Orders Due: Monday Jan. 14 & 28

Pick-up on Friday of the week

St. John Web-

store Is Now Open! https://stjohnstore.martinonesource.com/

There are many new designs and styles –personalization

and text options are available on many items. Orders are

processed as they are received and are ready in 10-15

days. The school office will contact you when items are

ready for pickup.

Men’s, Women’s & Youth Sizes

Polos (short & long sleeve) - Performance Tees (short & long sleeve) and Hoodies - Cotton Tees - short and long

sleeve, many colors including tie-dye - Sweatshirts (hoodies, zippered, & crewneck) - Hats and Visors -

Duffle Bag - Ringer and Jersey Tees - Track Pants & Jackets

St. John Lutheran School’s

Friday, Jan- uary 25, at 7 pm

following 7th

Grade Pasta Dinner

Do you have a special talent or skill? Want to per-form a skit, sing a song, etc…? If you would like to

perform in the talent show, please fill out a form (one per act) and return it to the school office no later than

Tuesday, January 22. Forms are available on the Parent Portal and in the school office. Acts should

run no longer than 3-4 minutes. All acts must be ap-proved by the Talent Show Committee.

Pasta Dinner Fundraiser The Pasta Dinner will be held on

Friday, January 25th from 5:30-7pm.

The full menu and ticket prices will be announced soon. There will a Dessert Auction.

Please consider donate a dessert. Sign-up will be posted by the

school office.

This is a fundraiser for the 7th grade

class trip Washington, D.C..

Taking Down the Decorations On January 5th at 9am, we will take down decorations in the church. We appreciate everyone who came and decorated. Many hands make the work go quickly. We would love to see you on the 5th!

LERT - Lutheran Early Response Team

Our next training is: Saturday, January 19, 2019 St. John's Lutheran Church 13443 Townline Road Green Valley, Illinois 61534 9:00 am to 2:30 pm (Sign-in begins at 8:30) http://www.cidlcms.org/LERT.GreenValley.1.19.19.pdf If you have any questions, please contact the Central Illinois District—LCMS at 217-793-1802 or by reaching Stephen Born

Thank you,

LERT TEAM

Camp CILCA's Annual Banquet is Sunday, January 27, from 5-8pm at Our Savior's in Springfield. The evening includes delicious food, music, conversation, and guest speaker Rev Jeff Hemmer, author of "Man Up", speaking on mankind's connection to God's creation. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by contacting the camp office (217-487-7497/ by January 23.

ALARM CODE CHANGE Our new alarm system installa-tion has been completed. The code has been changed. Train-

ing for the new system will be Tuesday, January 15th at 5:30pm. Please meet at the front of the church. The new

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 January

Wednesday, January 2 No Handbell Rehearsal Thursday, January 3 No Men’s or Mixed Choir rehearsals Sunday, January 6 10:45 Men’s Choir (Epiphany) Wednesday, January 9 Handbell rehearsals resume Thursday, January 10 Men’s & Mixed Choir rehearsals resume Sunday, January 13 8:00 Alleluia Ringers (+ 10:45 Prelude) Sunday, January 20 8:00 Lois , violin 10:45 Mixed Choir Sunday, January 27 Start of Lutheran Schools Week – Day School Choirs at both services 10:45 Men’s Choir Sunday, February 3 8:00 Alleluia Ringers (& 10:45 Prelude)

The work of enhancing our church’s pipe organ is underway in the Buzard factory. New wind-chests are being constructed, and the new pipes have arrived and are being worked on. We will be scheduling a factory tour so that those who are interested can see the work in progress, be-fore things arrive at the church. There will be a few weeks between now and Easter where we will be without the use of the organ, but we will have many new, grand and glorious sounds in place by mid-April, with which to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection!

Soli Deo Gloria! Keith

January 27 - February 2

National Lutheran Schools Week pro-vides nearly 2,000 preschools, elementary schools and high schools with the pub-lic opportunity to proclaim and celebrate God’s work among us in schools of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod We thank God for the opportunity to provide

excellent academic preparation for the children we serve. We are most grateful for the opportunity to share Jesus’ amazing love with children and their families. Na-

tional Lutheran Schools Week gives us an opportunity to proclaim these great blessings within the communities we serve. Our schools are amazing incubators for faithful witness of God’s love for us through Christ by teachers and students

SECOND SEMESTER CHAPEL OFFERING

Some surveys estimate the U.S. deaf popula-tion is 95-98% un-churched. The CID is committed to reaching deaf / hard of hearing individuals. We will help this ministry 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

This year’s Gospel Adventures will explore the rich culture of

Peru! With remarkable landscapes from the Amazon

River, Machu Picchu, and more, Gospel Adventures: Passport to Peru is sure to be a journey to

remember! Students will be introduced to children just like them living in Peru who carry their faith with them through day-to-day life and will learn about the

foods, animals, people and places of Peru with Gospel Adventures.

1 Sina, Carson, Sherryl, Miranda

2 Chris, Katie, Edna, Maria

3 Sarah, Sherrie, Linda

4 Major, Kody, T.J.

5 Jennifer, Jeanette

6 Bennett, Donaven, Brad

7 Ali , Mia, Abby

8 James , Hendricks

9 Olivia , Dylan, Ken , Lou Ann , Donna , Kamryn

10 Peter, Margaret, Judah, George

12 Meaghan, Jim

13 Karen, Ryan, Betty, Allison, Chad

14 Tamara, Kaleb

15 Carrie, Doug, Lindermann

16 Suzzanna, Dennis

17 Zoe, Reagan

18 Ben, Jill, Christian

19 Van, Bret, Steve

20 Tryston, Susan, Gary, Karen, Barb , Michael

21 Mike, Larry, Kaitlin, Richele, Taylor

22 John, Jacelyn

23 Donna, Juleigh, Lorraine

24 Mikayla

25 Matthew, Charlene

26 Dawn

27 Dick

28 Joshua, Robin, Erin

29 Esther, Kevin, Jennifer, Laura, Joseph

30 Tom, Daryl, James, Linda

31 Lila, Myla, Sierra

8 Eric & Kristina (14)

12 Matt & Kylene (18)

13 Daniel & Linda (29)

18 Bill & Phyllis (50)

19 David & Donna (56)

28 Jim & Jeannine (58)

JANUARY BIRTHDAYS

JANUARY

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. Letting us know of

errors or omissions is a great way to help us complete &

correct our records.

ATTENDANCE FIGURES FOR DECEMBER

Sundays 8:00 Comm 10:45 Comm Dec 2 151 124 138 104 Dec 9 183 144 98 88 Dec 16 184 150 129 99 Dec 23 162 132 163 123 Dec 30 120 109 105 96

Wednesdays 3:30 Comm 7:15 Comm Dec 5 77 62 53 46 Dec 12 90 75 32 27 Dec 19 64 53 40 36

Christmas Eve 5:00 7:15 Comm 10:00 Sun, Dec 24 368 138 116 99

Christmas Day 10:00 Comm Mon, Dec 25 129 99

New Year’s Eve 7:15 Comm Sun, Dec. 31 54 49

2019

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Devotions & Hymn-sing

at Amber Glen

on the 13th & 27th

at 2:30pm

Church Office

359-1123

School Office

359-1714

1 New Year’s Day

2

6:00 Trustees 7:15 Holy Communion

3 12:30 Widow’s Group

4 5:30 Faith & Family Night

5 9:00 Decoration Removal 4:30 Ice Skating

6 The Epiphany of our Lord

8:00 Holy Communion 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion (MC)

7 No School

8 6:00 Elders

9 8:10 Chapel 10:00 Adult Bible Class 5:45 Midweek School 6:00 Handbells 7:15 Holy Communion

10 7:00 Men’s Prayer Breakfast 10:00 Evangelism 6:00 Men’s Choir 6:45 Mixed Choir

11 1:30 Geography Bee

12

13 The Baptism of our Lord

8:00 Holy Communion (AR) 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion

14 9:15 MOPS 6:00 Finance Board E.A.T. Night @ Panera 4-8 (Kirby)

15 10:00 Adult Bible Class 1:00 Reading Buddies 5:30 Alarm Training 6:00 Council

16 8:10 Chapel 5:45 Midweek School, Lifelight 6:00 Handbells 7:15 Holy Communion

17 9:30 Lifelight 6:00 Men’s Choir 6:30 Lifelight 6:45 Mixed Choir

18

19

20 2nd Sunday after Epiphany

8:00 Holy Communion 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion (MxC)

21 No School

Newsletter Deadline

22 10:00 Adult Bible Class 6:00 Parish Ed 7:00 Youth Board

23 8:10 Chapel 3:30 PTF Meeting 5:45 Midweek School Lifelight 6:00 Handbells 7:15 Holy Communion

24 9:30 Lifelight 6:00 Men’s Choir 6:30 Lifelight 6:45 Mixed Choir

25 5:30 Spaghetti Dinner 7:00 Talent Show

26

27 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

8:00 Holy Communion 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion (MC)

National Lutheran Schools Week

28 9:15 MOPS 6:30 LWML Soup Supper

29 10:00 Adult Bible Class

30 8:10 Chapel 5:45 Midweek School, Lifelight 6:00 Handbells 7:15 Holy Communion

31 9:30 Lifelight 6:00 Men’s Choir 6:30 Lifelight, Reading Night 6:45 Mixed Choir

Pastor Caithamer’s

day off:

Fridays

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8