1

St. John’s Lutheran Church

July 2018 Church Bell

From the Desk of Pastor Clark

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among

you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. – 1 Corinthians 1

In just a few days, our country is going to be celebrating the

4th of July for the 242nd time (if my pastor’s math is correct!).

We celebrate that this country of freedoms is “E Pluribus

Unum”: out of many, we are one. We come from many different

backgrounds, countries of origin, families, cultures, etc., but we

are all Americans! As we say in the Pledge of Allegiance: “One

nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Well, just like our nation is made up of many different

peoples, so is God’s Church! The Christian Church throughout

the world is made up of people of many colors, many cultures,

with many ways of worshipping, etc. But, it’s all one Church

because all true Christians believe that “God so loved the world

that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall

not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

(Continued on page 3)

2

Newsletter Deadline: Deadline for the August newsletter is Monday, July 16th

Join the Newsletter Mailing Crew on Tuesday, July 24th at 9:00 am.

Bulletin Deadline: Every Tuesday at midnight

St. John’s Lutheran Church

302 NE 2nd Street

Buffalo, MN 55313

Phone: 763-682-1883

Youth Line: 763-684-0460

Fax: 763-682-1936

Noah’s Ark Preschool: 763-682-1883

info@stjohnsbuffalo.org

Sharing a changeless Christ in a changing world.

www.stjohnsbuffalo.org

Rev. Ryan Clark, Pastor

pastorclark@stjohnsbuffalo.org

763-675-3576

Rev. Norm Hanan, Visitation Pastor

320-309-5904

Kelly Thole, DCE, Director of

Family Ministry

kthole@stjohnsbuffalo.org

Chris Ryan, DCE, Director of

Youth Ministry

cryan@stjohnsbuffalo.org

Beth Peterson-Hane, Office Administrator

bhane@stjohnsbuffalo.org or

info@stjohnsbuffalo.org

Noah’s Ark Preschool

noahsarkbuffalo@gmail.com

Jim Chapa, Treasurer

Denise Saunders, Financial Secretary

financesec@stjohnsbuffalo.org

Cheryl Olsen, Board Secretary

Saturday 5:00 pm (Contemporary)

Sunday 8:00 & 10:30 am (Traditional)

Sunday’s Service Broadcast on

KRWC 1360AM at 8:00 am

Bill Morris

elders@stjohnsbuffalo.org

Dave Haggerty, Head Elder

Tracey Anderson

Derek Annis

Gregg Beckman

Kyle Bjork

Gabe Licht

Peter March

Ryan Rutten

Tony Sabraski

Mark Saunders

Altar Guild: Dorothy Bowman

Education: Open

Evangelism: Roger Strege

Fellowship: Marti & Lee Ryan

Library: Cheryl Olsen

Memorial Endowment/Investment:

Janice Marschel

Project Compassion: Sandi Baert

Sanctuary Decorating: Suzanne Strege

Stewardship: Tim Vergin

Trustees: Scott Spadgenske

Women in Mission: Mary Bremmer

Summer Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

Friday 8:30-11:00 AM (June-August)

3

Our church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, is also “E Pluribus

Unum.” God the Holy Spirit has brought us to St. John’s from a

variety of backgrounds. Some people are even from Iowa! J

We have different gifts, talents, abilities, personalities, and

perspectives, but we are all one church!

This month, take time to thank God for our “one nation

under God”, for our “one Church under Christ Jesus”, and our

“one church family formed by the Spirit.”

God bless you!

Pastor Clark

(continued from page 1)

St. John’s Softball Schedule for July:

July 13

8:00 PM vs. Salem

9:00 PM vs. Delano

July 20

7:00 PM vs. Zion

8:00 PM vs. St. Francis Xavier

Mark Your Calendars…

St. John’s Quarterly Meeting will be held on

Sunday, July 29th at 9:15 am

in the Fellowship Hall.

* Reports are due in the office by July 16th.

4

For those interested in the Holy Ministry:

St. John's Pre-Seminary

What is it?

Advanced seminary-level study of the Bible during the first

half of the class, then an open forum on the mechanics of

the Holy Ministry. Each class will contain a stand-alone re-

view on a book of Scripture, followed by practical techniques

for conducting worship, counseling, sermon composure, inter-

generational ministry, topical concerns, church history and

day-to-day operation of a congregation. All students will be

expected to prepare

one sermon during the year.

When do we meet?

Classes will meet every Monday evening 6:30-8:00 PM. The

class begins September 10th and continues until May 2019.

All classes will be held at St. John's.

Is there a cost?

No. All materials and tuition are free. Every student should

bring a Bible that can be marked up during our studies. A

copy of "Halley's Bible Handbook" would be helpful, but not

required. All class handouts should be kept in a binder for

future reference.

Classes will be led by Pastor Dave Taylor, Emeritus, LCMS.

For additional information please call

(763) 370-2423

5

St. John’s Picnic &

Service In the Park!

Sunday, July 22nd ,

10:00am-12:00pm

at Sturges Park

A Potluck Dinner follows the Service

(Please bring extra food if you are able, because we always seem to

run out of food before we run out of people). Chicken, beverages,

and dinnerware will be provided by the Fellowship Board (Note: For

health safety reasons, bring the appropriate containers to keep

foods hot or cold) Don’t forget your lawn chair and a dish to pass.

In case of inclement weather, the service and picnic

will be at the Church.

Concert in the Park

July 19, 2018—Church of Cash

Mark your calendar to attend the City of Buffalo’s Concert in

Sturges Park on Thursday, July 19th. St. John’s is hosting the

evening featuring music by Church of Cash, a Johnny Cash tribute

band. They will perform from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. We will be serving a

hot dog meal with chips and a beverage for $3.00 with proceeds

going to our Noah’s Ark Preschool. Bring the family, and your

lawn chairs; enjoy your dinner and the music. Hope to see you

on Thursday evening, July 19th!

6

July

Ushers

8:00 Brian Kenmir

Fred Bonk

Bill Cook

Bill Elletson

10:30 Paul Henning

Youth Volunteers

Audiovisual

The

Team

Nicole Beckman

Tim Berteau

Emily Chapa

Jon Chapa

Jill Marketon

Bill Morris

Melissa Morris

Tyler Spadgenske

Aubrey Walters

Contemporary Worship Team

The

Team

Heather Anderson

Aaron Clark

Kristin Clark

Josiah Clark

Pastor Clark

Alyssa Hane

Aaron Kubasch

LeAnn March

Peter March

Melissa Morris

Beth Peterson-Hane

Coffee Servers

7/1

7/8

7/15

7/22

7/29

* Open

Women in Mission

* Open

(Church in the Park)

Youth

20s/30s

Group

Bible Study

If you are in your 20’s or 30’s,

make sure to check out the

20’s/30’s Bible Study Group

that meets monthly during the

school year. We will resume

again in the fall. If you have

any questions, please email

Chris Ryan at:

christophermryan2@gmail.com

Come join us!

Enjoy some relaxed

fun with PEP (People

Enjoying People). PEP meets

on the first and third Tuesdays

of every month in Room 104

across from Noah’s Ark

Preschool. We begin with a

brief Bible study followed by a

variety of activities which may

include joke telling, cards and

games. In July we meet on the

3rd and 17th from 9-11:30am.

Bring your own beverage; come

whenever you can; stay as long

as you want. There is no

regular commitment. The more

the merrier.

7

TWINS GAME

July 31st at 7:10 pm

Join us in cheering on the Twins as they take on the Cleveland

Indians on Lutheran Night at Target Field! Enjoy the fellowship of

your friends at St. John’s on a stress-free evening as we’re

chauffeured on a charter bus. Everyone is welcome!

$15 ticket & $5 bus = $20 per person!! **Max of 55 for bus** Deadline: Sunday, July 8th by Noon.

Transportation details will be provided closer to the event date.

NAME ________________________________

PHONE _______________________________

# OF TICKETS ______________

Questions? Call Marti Ryan – 612-201-6012. Please give forms and

payment to Marti, or drop off at the Church office. Checks payable to

“St. John’s Lutheran Church”

Holy Land Trip —

The Best of Israel and Jordan This 13-day inspirational tour is scheduled for

February 15-27, 2019. Join us as we visit and

explore places that Jesus walked during His ministry

years. Your Bible will “come to life” at the Jordan

River Baptism Site, The Sea of Galilee, Caesarea, Nazareth, The

Dead Sea, Jerusalem and many other sites and

places.

The cost of this all-inclusive trip is $3,484.00 per person based

on 20 paying passengers/double occupancy (roundtrip flight from

Minneapolis, 11 nights in 4-star hotels, breakfast and dinner each

day, tour guide, deluxe motorcoach, all tips and entrance fees).

Brochures are available in the church office and in the Narthex.

Please let us know if you would like your name added to the list of

people who are interested in going on this amazing trip!

Contact: Peter and LeAnn March, 763-682-4357 or

320-291-1189.

8

Ella Desmarais 7/1

Calista Korbel 7/1

Clara Wachter 7/1

Barbara Dilley 7/2

Emma Elfering 7/2

Destiny LaFave 7/2

Raquel Powell 7/2

Bill Pulvermacher 7/2

Daniel Giese 7/3

Sheridan Lambrecht 7/3

Jenna Roster 7/3

Sydney Rumsch 7/3

Jamie DeWitte 7/4

Stephanie Graf 7/4

Andrea Klatt 7/4

Marilyn Ruckle 7/4

Paul Thaemert 7/4

Herb Neske 7/5

Hailey Strenge 7/5

Kevin Buttenhoff 7/6

Lee Charlson 7/6

Hendrix Gatz 7/6

Jodi Lachermeier 7/6

Arlis Block 7/7

Val Gabbert 7/7

Dylan Gearey 7/7

Frank Graham 7/7

Bailie Handt 7/7

Taylor Andrews 7/8

Hadley Arnold 7/8

Jaxon Bixby 7/8

Grayson Jochum 7/8

Colton McLellan 7/8

Richard Ordorff 7/8

Joette Tilbury 7/8

Maren Brockopp 7/9

Brandt Mastley 7/9

Pat McAlister 7/9

Asher Bjorklund 7/10

Greg Buttenhoff 7/10

John Dahlheimer 7/10

Jill Marketon 7/10

Kyle Sawatzke 7/10

Ricky Sawatzke 7/10

Arron Stoppelman 7/10

Allissa Anderson 7/11

Cory Bucher 7/11

Jennifer Degn 7/11

Sandy Halsten 7/11

Ian Lommel 7/11

Connor Novacek 7/11

Dorothy Bowman 7/12

Dan Erdmann 7/12

Mark Ludwig 7/12

Michael Quady 7/12

Justin Kaufman 7/13

Randy Strenge 7/13

Justice Hartman 7/14

Chantal Jurgens 7/14

Kristin Jurgens 7/14

Joann Prigge 7/14

Willow Sawatzke 7/14

Jodi Baumgard 7/15

Darcy Ellis 7/15

Trent Graf 7/15

Berenice Jurgens 7/15

Amy Kortisses 7/15

Rylee Kula 7/15

Rollie Boldt 7/16

Ryan Klima 7/16

Carly Winkelman 7/16

Vicki Ebeling 7/17

Christy Handt 7/17

Elijah Klatt 7/17

Erin Mackenthun 7/17

Bill Morris 7/17

Michelle Fursa 7/18

Larry Holland 7/18

Bill Korpela 7/18

Gerhard Ungaro 7/18

Cody Weis 7/18

Carol Anderson 7/19

Even Bauernschmitt 7/19

Cory DeWitte 7/19

Nila Ellis 7/19

Hannah Green 7/19

Lauryn Groshens 7/19

Kelly Erdmann 7/20

Owen Lommel 7/20

Lexi-Jo McAlpine 7/20

9

Mason Erdman 7/21

Doug Etzel 7/21

John Prigge 7/21

Julie Fussy 7/22

Lauren Ives 7/22

Suzy Strege 7/22

Maci Botz 7/24

Alaina Holte 7/24

Sophia Reedy 7/24

Stacy Ebert 7/25

Diane Faue 7/25

Taylor Ives 7/25

Anthony Klatt 7/25

Woodrow Klatt 7/25

Madelline Krull 7/25

Carter Vogt 7/25

Shawn Wren 7/25

Catriona Raasch 7/26

Dominic Tortorella III 7/26

Rebecca Botz 7/27

Lew Boyko 7/27

Levi Hanson 7/27

Taylor Strenge 7/27

Jason & Nissa Munger 7/2

David & Margaret Randel 7/3

Rod & Lora Holland 7/5

Don & Ruth Schwanke 7/6

Derek & Kelly Annis 7/7

Dave & Betty Schmalz 7/7

Brad & Dawn Danielson 7/9

Chris & Catherine Ryan 7/9

Ben & Rachel Sievert 7/10

Gerald & Laura Stoppelman 7/11

Cory & Meera Lyver 7/12

Cory & Jamie DeWitte 7/14

Jed & Anna Reedy 7/15

Bob & Linda Faue 7/16

Todd & Michelle Mackenthun 7/16

Rod & Myrna Strenge 7/17

Dan & Teagen Lambert 7/19

Nate & Becky Selvig 7/19

Dave Teske 7/27

Justin Wilson 7/27

Barb Bohach 7/28

Jacob Dahlheimer 7/28

Andrea Girard 7/28

Maxine Hoseck 7/28

Elaine Reese 7/28

Brad Stevens 7/28

Lois Bartlett 7/29

Jill Bremmer 7/29

John Hoppe 7/29

Ken Hill 7/30

Fran Kuseske 7/30

Rylan Nieskens 7/30

Bob Rumsch 7/30

Bennett Thole 7/30

Bonnie Enter 7/31

Helane Gentz 7/31

Ryan Hughes 7/31

Kelsey Kenmir 7/31

Steven McManus 7/31

Chad Schimmele 7/31

Bethany VanLith 7/31

Adam & Abby Bjorklund 7/20

Andrew & Holly Williams 7/20

Brad & Maxine Hoseck 7/21

Matthew & Stacy Ebert 7/22

Chad & Meredith Huikko 7/22

Kurt & Hanni Lommel 7/22

Ryan & Stacy Rutten 7/22

Lee & Penny Welch 7/23

Jon & Connie Boonstra 7/24

Dick & Sue Martin 7/25

Gary & ReVae Megaw 7/25

Nick & Renee Ebert 7/26

Matt & Christy Handt 7/27

Nicholas & Sara Vergin 7/27

Scott & Diana Brecht 7/28

James & Debra Marty 7/28

Doug & Nila Fenhaus 7/30

Steve & Anita McManus 7/31

10

Children & Family

Kindergarten Bible Class

“Teach Me to Pray”

February 11th & 18th

Join us for two Sundays of a fun,

interactive and creative class on

how to pray with and for your

child now and as they grow!

Kids and parents alike will get a

hands-on chance to try out

different ways to talk to God

through music, crafts, games and

many resources!

Class meets at 9:30am after

Sunday School opening!

Questions or need more info

763-682-1883

kthole@stjohnsbuffalo.org

Vacation Bible School at St. John’s

Monday through Friday, July 9th - 13th

from 8:30 to 11:30 am

Mark your Calendar Now!

Kids from age 3 through 4th grade will have a great time singing,

watching skits, creating crafts and playing games.

Shipwrecked VBS is filled with incredible Bible learning experiences that kids

see, hear, touch and even taste! Kids will love God like never before.

Serve God like never before and have the time of their lives doing it!

But we can’t take this adventure without your help! From donations, to registration, to teaching and crew leaders, there are

many places for you to be a part of this adventure. For information on

how you can help, check out our website at www.stjohnsbuffalo.org or call 763-682-1883

No matter your age or interest, there is a place for you at

Shipwrecked!

11

Children & Family

NOW ENROLLING for 2018-2019!

For more information call 763-682-1883 or check out www. stjohnsbuffalo.org

** Few spots remain for MWF class. Register today!

Looking for a way to help

with VBS?

Donate Supplies:

If you picked up a tag from our

board in the Narthex, please bring

your donated items right at the

beginning of July. Thank you!

Food Donations Needed for our Friday

Lunch:

Hot dogs

Hot dog buns

Chips

Pickles

Desserts

Volunteer!

We can’t take this adventure without your

help! From crew leaders to station leaders

and in-between, all are needed. Please go

to our website to sign up!

www.stjohnsbuffalo.org

** Please bring your

food donations by

Thursday!

12

Children & Family

SUMMER READING THAT’S

ALL ABOUT JESUS!

MAY 26–AUGUST 5, 2018

CPH.ORG/READS

This summer, we invite you to join

thousands of readers around the country on a faith-filled journey

for the whole family!

Enjoy a CPH discount coupon for summer shopping.

Check out booklists for every age, including adults.

Books are available in the church library also.

Prizes for all ages available!

Want to know more? Contact Kelly at

763-682-1883 or register at CPH.ORG/READS

Sunday School To Go!

Going out of town for the weekend?

Take God with you! Each packet contains a

lesson that you and your family can use in the

car, at the lake or wherever you go!

What’s inside??

Activity Sheets

Fun Gizmos!

Flat Jesus! Snap a picture and post it to Facebook. Tag…

St. John’s Buffalo MN so we can see where Jesus vacations

with you this summer.

Operation Christmas Child Items for July:

For July, we will be

collecting small stuffed animals

(beanie baby size). Thank you for

continuing to donate throughout the year so

that we can fill our boxes for this wonderful

mission outreach!

13

Youth

Senior High Coffee and

Bible Study! If you are going to be in high school next year

or were in high school this year, mark your

Calendar! On some Wednesdays this summer we will meet

for a Bible study. This study takes place at Dunn Bros Coffee

Shop in Buffalo at 9:30am.

Bible Study dates: July 25, and August 1, 8, 15, 22. For

more information, contact Chris at (612) 704-5255 or

christophermryan2@gmail.com

Tool Tag Fundraiser Be sure to look out for the Senior High Youth Tool Tag

Fundraiser in the coffee commons area. This

fundraiser is very simple and raises a lot of money for the

Senior Youth mission trip each year. All you have to do is take one of

the tool tags and donate the designated amount of

money on it to the youth group. In return, you will

receive an invite to our annual mission trip Thank-

You Breakfast. Be sure not to miss this fundraiser

and thank you for your continued support!

Senior High Mission Trip

Many members of the St. John’s senior youth group as

well as a few adult chaperones will be in Erie, PA

July 14-22 for a mission trip. The youth group will

spend the majority of their day doing community

service for the poverty-stricken and elderly in the Erie area. This is

an opportunity for the youth to serve God and others as well as be a

witness to non-believers through their words and actions. The youth

group would appreciate your support in any way possible, especially

through your prayers. Please keep all of the youth and adults going

to Erie and all of the people whose lives they will touch in your

prayers in the coming weeks. Thank you again for all of your support

as we get ready to serve our Savior!!

14

Call Pat, Beth or Karen for free help with small projects—cleaning,

changing lightbulbs, lifting, errands, advice or assistance from licensed professionals. Over 100 St. John’s members want to help.

We will find a match.

*When calling with a request, please leave your name & contact number so we can get back to you.*

Pat Norine Beth Husom Karen Horsch 763-682-3606 952-715-7281 612-990-9527

WALKERS/DONATIONS

NEEDED

Join others from St. John’s in a Walk to Defeat ALS in memory

of Pastor Phil. Please consider walking or making a donation

to the St. John’s team: “Romans 8:1.” Walks are scheduled:

Saturday, Aug. 25 in Rochester at 10:00 am

Saturday, Sept. 8 in St. Cloud at 10:00 am

For more information, contact Theresa Sabraski at

sabraskit@yahoo.com or 763-242-5389.

Note: Deadline for team T-shirt is Aug. 1

** Those who participate in the Rochester walk are cordially

invited to the home of Bob & Karen Meyer (Pastor Phil’s parents)

for refreshments following the walk.

15

I wish to thank you for the prayers, cards, good

food, phone calls and good wishes during my

recent illness. I thank my God for returning me

to good health.

~Clinton Lambert

Thanks to Pastor Clark & the St. John’s family for all the prayers,

visits, cards and calls. I have my new knee and am so

grateful to everyone during this long process. I appreciate every-

thing so much.

~Doug Hanson

Acknowledging Memorials & Gifts Recent memorials and gifts have been made toward the following:

Item: In Memory/Honor of:

Noah’s Ark Preschool Lois Dixon

KRWC Radio Ministry

St. John’s Memorial Fund

16

LWML/WIM/St. John’s Women

ST. JOHN’S MEMBERS ROCK! On Father’s Day, Pastor Clark

blessed 22 quilts, 11 baby quilts, 13 baby fleece blankets and 10

receiving blankets a group of our members created—some who are

brand new to the craft and used them to learn. You’d never know it

by how fabulous they look! Pictures were

taken and quilts were distributed through-

out Wright County. The 2nd quilting and

blanket project is starting in September,

2018. Anyone interested can plan on

creating beautiful pieces, as beautiful

leaves fall from trees.

Pastor Clark also blessed baby bottles filled with coins, bills, and

checks. They went to the pro-life Pregnancy Resource Center in

St. Cloud and Cornerstone pregnancy resource center in St. Michael,

which both help ease toughness that sometimes arises before and

after children are born.

The LWML MN South Conference (which has 3,700 members) is

upcoming June 29th in Mankato. Three St. John’s Women in Mission

members are going. The baby items St. John’s members graciously

donated in May and June are heading with them, as is $200 for

mission projects. From local to national groups, LWML quietly

donates big bucks to missions which are used to share the gospel

throughout the globe. The Conference has almost met the $265,000

2016-2018 goal.

Also upcoming is the Women in Mission July Service Project – we

will be helping prep and serve the Buffalo Community Breakfast on

Saturday, July, 20th. We’d love people to help ready the Buffalo

Community Center on Friday, July 19th. We also need 4-6 adult/child

teams to serve the breakfast and beverages on Saturday. Please let

us know if you are interested, and as always, feel free to join our

monthly meetings at church. The next one is coming up on Thursday,

July 5th at 5:30.

Thanks again St. John’s members for your help and donations

with mites, baby bottles and products. As I stated earlier, YOU ROCK!

Blessings,

Beth Husom

17

We have reached another milestone and will be

celebrating our 50th Annual Country Fair for Missions this

year! Our Heavenly Father has richly blessed our earthly

offerings for half of a century, and we’re grateful we’ve

been able to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to

missions, and other worthy projects in that time. And

we’re thankful for all the willing workers that have

donated time, talents, and treasures. Some of you for all

50 years. Thank you!

The 2018 fair is set for Saturday, November 10th, from 8 a.m. to

1:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center, Fellowship Hall, and connecting

hallway. Please plan to be a part of this project in any way you are

able. We welcome your help and your donations to fill the various

shops with a wide variety of items.

We have a dedicated group that sews beautiful quilts of different

sizes, colors, and patterns. The Gift Shop features the quilts, along

with knitted, crocheted, and sewn items, dishcloths, embroidered

dishtowels, painted items, baby things, and homemade jewelry. The

Country Store has pickles, jams, jellies, salsa, and garden produce.

The Holiday Shop has a variety of ornaments and decorations. The

Craft Shop has unique handcrafted items. Country Fair Naturals has

laundry, bath, and personal care products. The Silent Auction has

special items to bid on. Attic Treasures has a large number of

donated treasures to choose from. The Bake Shop has breads, pies,

cakes, bars, and candies. The Christmas Cookie Shop is the place to

pick from a large variety of treats. The Kid’s Korner is a great place

for children while you shop. The Coffee Shop serves rolls, juice, and

coffee. There’s also a Quiche and Muffin brunch at 8:00 a.m. The

Mexican Shop has both tacos and Sloppy Joes. And the famous

Chow Mein dinner is served in the Chinese Dining Room.

Please be thinking of ways you’d like to help with this mission

project. We will set up all day on Friday, November 9th. We need

many hands to make light the task. Thank you!

Submitted by Christine Husom

LWML/WIM/St. John’s Women

18

Meeting Called to Order at 6:30 by

Dave Haggerty filling in for Bill

Morris.

Opening Prayer: Pastor Clark

First item on Agenda was to vote

for a previous Secretary report –

December - accepted on a motion

from Jim Chapa seconded by Marti

Ryan.

Secretary’s Report: Accepted on a

motion from Janice Marschel

seconded by Mary Bremmer.

Jim Chapa read Devotions from

Acts 10. Pastor Clark pointed out

highlights and commented on the

ending as to everyone who believes

in Him receives forgiveness of sins

through His name. Pastor also

touched on the fact that

Confirmation would be the following

weekend May 20th. He is team-

teaching the Bible Study with Chris

Ryan. The Elders will be forming

Advocate groups this fall. Aaron

Beckman has completed his

Masters of Theology.

Youth Ministry: Chris Ryan spoke

on the activities of getting ready for

the Mission Trip. 30 youth and 7

chaperones are signed up. Things

are looking good. Baccalaureate

will be held at Buffalo Covenant

Church on May 16th. The 30-Hour

Famine event is coming up.

Child & Family Ministry – Noah’s

Ark: Kelly Thole said coffee will be

served in appreciation of all the

teachers. She is also happy to

report that there has been good

response to her call for teaching

help for the next year. VBS

registration is all online and now

available, if questions call the

church office. There is a Flat Jesus

that has been created to spend the

summer with the kids. They can

take a picture of him and them-

selves showing people where they

have been and what they have

been doing. Plus projects and

gadgets to entertain the kids

throughout the summer. The

summer reading program “Read

like a Lutheran” has started. We

will celebrate our Graduates on

June 3rd. There is also still a call out

for a person to head up a team for

Operation Christmas Child, contact

Kelly if that is of interest.

Noah’s Ark is wrapping up the year

with graduation on May 23rd.

Registration for the next year is

going very well and at this point

only 5 spaces are left on Mon &

Wed. Kelly will start a thorough

cleaning of supplies and rooms.

Financial Secretary’s Report &

Treasurers Report: Jim Chapa

reported Denise Saunders is

recovering. Both reports reconcile

and things are going very well.

People have asked about our

Outreach programs and they are

detailed in Jim’s report. If you have

a question please call him.

General Fund Contributions and

Expenses:

Contributions $66,780

Expenses $55,438

Net Increase (Decrease) $11,342

Board Meeting Minutes 5/15/2018

19

Reports accepted on a motion

from Scott Spadgenske seconded

by Mary Bremmer.

Old Business: Scott Spadgenski

will be meeting with Gregg

Beckman to discuss the

Emergency plans. Dave Haggerty

continues to look for an Elder

representative for Sat. nights.

New Business: None at this time.

BOARD AND COMMITTEE

REPORTS:

Elders: Dave Haggerty mentioned

there were approximately 130

people at the Bruce Van Natta

gathering which was well received

with prayer being incorporated

and people coming forward. The

board is discussing some type of

healing and prayer service in the

future. The board also continues

to look to the future needs, such

as expanding our ministry and

staff of our church

Trustees: Scott Spadgenski

expressed appreciation for all the

help on Spring Clean Up Day.

Boilers are off for the summer.

Carpet cleaning will be done

shortly. Scott will check an AED in

question. All work continues and

the Board expresses a huge thank

you to Scott and his group.

Evangelism: No report at this

time.

Stewardship: No report at this

time.

Fellowship: Marti Ryan said Sun.

July 22nd is Service in the Park.

July 19th St. John’s will sponsor

Music in the Park – Church of

Cash. The Twins game is July 31st.

The group continues to look into

things such as possibly a

Progressive Dinner, and the new

Church Basement Ladies in the

fall.

Women in Mission (LWML): Mary

Bremmer had written report high-

lighting that the Mission Quilts are

still being worked on. The church

is serving the Community

Breakfast July 21st and she is

looking for help.

Library: Cheryl Olsen reported

that new books are in for the

summer reading program and

Pastor Clark was able to get all 3

of Bruce Van Natta books.

Project Compassion/Health

Cabinet: Sandi Baert expressed a

thank you to everyone for their

care and concern during the loss

of her mother. Theresa Henson

came in and presented a good

program on Living Wills etc.

Missions: No Report.

Decorating: All is well. There was

some discussion on when fresh

flowers are used as to how they

should be picked up.

Other Business: Dave Haggerty

mentioned Chris Ryan now has

his Masters, Kelly is in need of

having a board set up, and some

research is being done on pay

and responsibilities. Discussion

on these items followed.

Closing Prayer and Adjournment

followed on motion from Mary

Bremmer.

Respectfully submitted by Cheryl

Olsen

20

It’s Not Too Late to Order a St. John’s Magnetic

Name Tag! Have you ordered your St. John’s name tag? You still can—and still at no

cost! Just call the Church Office at 763-682-1883.

“Giving Change to Make A Change”

You may notice the golden envelopes in our church pews each week labeled “Giving Change to Make a Change.” Donations received in these offerings go toward our Benevolence Fund, and are used to meet the needs of persons/families who reach out to St. John’s under dire financial situations. We always have a supply of Cub Foods and Holiday gas cards available in the office for immediate needs. Pastor Clark meets and prays with individuals who request these cards. Please consider using one of these “Giving Change” envelopes to occasionally donate and drop it in the offering plate. Also, please continue to pray for all of those less fortunate than ourselves.

ATTENTION, PARENTS:

Making summer plans?

Summer vacation is just around the corner.

Be sure to fit Lutheran Island Bible Camp or

Camp Omega into your kids’ schedules. Women in Mission pays

half of campership fees for St. John’s members (request forms

available in Church Office or the St. John’s website at

www.stjohnsbuffalo.org).

21

Save Pop Cans for St. John’s Youth The St. John’s Youth are collecting pop cans to raise money for events throughout the year. If you drink pop, please save your cans for the St. John’s Youth. There is a trailer in our parking lot across from the sanctuary where you can drop off your empty pop cans. Thank you for your support!

Community Breakfast

St. John’s and Women in Mission

are hosting the

Community Breakfast on

Saturday, July 21st at the

Buffalo Community Center

Help from our congregation is needed from 8:00-10:30 am.

The area for volunteers needed most are “servers.” They

need two people per table to bring out the food and

beverages once people are seated. This is a fun opportunity

for a parent/child team or a couple. If you can help that

morning, please contact Priscilla McKenzie at 763-567-0893.

** This is a FREE breakfast for anyone in the community and

a great outreach for our congregation!

22

Non-Profit

US Postage Paid

Buffalo

, M

N

Perm

it #

33

Return Servic

e R

equested

St

Jo

hn

’s L

uth

era

n C

hu

rc

h

30

2 2

nd S

tre

et

NE

B

uff

alo

, M

N 5

53

13