There is a line in Robert Burns’ poem To a Mouse that goes, “The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew.” For nearly two years now, our Property Ministry Team, Finance Committee, and Leadership Board have been working closely with our architect to plan the timeline for our upcoming building renovation and addition project. We have spent huge amounts of time and energy carefully attending to each and every detail of the project.

St. John’s Stephen Ministry has offered care and support to people in need for more than sixteen years. We are looking for men and women who are willing to answer Jesus’ call to serve as Stephen Ministers.

“Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for human- kind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath’”
(Mark 2:2-28).

In observance of this Memorial Day weekend, St. John’s disciple Ray Boosinger wrote the following reflection, inviting us to experience its true meaning. Ray is a retired Air Force officer and a member of our Military Ministry Team. Thank you to Ray and to all the disciples at St. John’s, both past and present, who have served our country so courageously. 

On that first Pentecost, God breathed the Holy Spirit into the church and the church began to move in awesome and powerful ways! Everywhere one looks these days here at St. John’s, the movement of the Spirit is evident. Let me outline just a few of the ways the Spirit is moving as God does a new thing in our congregation. 

It’s hard to believe that Summer is just around the corner. It seems like yesterday we were all complaining that it was snowing on Easter Sunday. But, as I look out the window in my office and see the trees and flowers in bloom, and the preschool kids playing in the grass, there is no doubt that summer is almost here. 

 “Let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 4:10). 

Tim was an active member of the church I served on internship in Ohio. He and his entire family were leaders in the congregation. One thing, however, perplexed me about Tim. While the rest of his family would come to church all dressed up in their Sunday best, Tim showed up Sunday after Sunday in a pair of shorts, an untucked t-shirt, and tennis shoes. 

WELCOME to St. John’s on this Easter Weekend! We are delighted to have you worship with us! Our congregation’s mission is to be and make disciples of Christ, in response to God’s grace. We live out this mission through RELATIONSHIP. In fact, our congregation’s vision statement is all about RELATIONSHIP: 

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is called to grow in meaningful relationships with Christ, with each other, and with our community as we are gathered for worship, equipped for discipleship, and sent to care. 

Legal ways to immigrate to the United States are through marriage and family connections, work visas, or political asylum.  Another option, though a long shot, is the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. Although called a lottery, it does not award recipients money. Instead, each year it allows 55,000 foreigners an opportunity to obtain Green Cards and legally immigrate to the U.S.  Over nine million people enter the DV Lottery per year.  The odds of holding a randomly drawn number are extremely small. 

Even those of us who are strong in faith may begin to doubt God’s presence much less God’s omnipotent control over the difficult times we face. In a blink of an eye life can change, as it did for me that late summer afternoon.

The idea for Get Up and Go Granola came when MacKenzie Steen saw a recipe in a cooking magazine.  Realizing that this would be a perfect match for St. John’s, the idea to make it for the whole congregation was born

Last Spring Pastor Greg gave his 8th grade confirmation class an assignment about baptism. Our daughter Elinor (with help from mom and dad) was to create a display board explaining what her baptism means.

Each summer St. John’s is well-represented at The Muni, the Legacy Theater, and New Salem’s Theatre in the Park as a variety of disciples share their musical and theatrical gifts. This summer is no exception.

Wherever you go this summer, remember, GOD GOES WITH YOU! In fact, GOD IS ALREADY THERE! Make time to worship wherever you are and experience true rest, refreshment, and renewal this summer!

Where in the world is St. John’s? St. John’s is at Concordia Village, a Lutheran Senior Services Retirement Community here in Springfield.

1. You could be the one Jesus uses to transform a child’s life forever.   No pressure.

2. You will make life-long memories with children and other volunteers.

3. You will learn and teach that God’s love is incredible, faithful, invincible, unconditional, and very real.

For the past 10 years, the Annual Mission Trip to Marion, Virginia has been one of the many ways we have taken our Mission Statement to heart. St. John’s Disciples have loaded up vans, trucks, and trailers, and made the trip to Marion, Virginia to become the Hands and Feet of Christ, completing home repair projects through Project Crossroads.

 It was Kay, in the parlor, with a hug.  The Grief Support Group was ready to begin, and Kay’s hug found one of the newer participants.  “I prayed for you all week,” Kay said.  And she wasn’t the only one praying.  Members of the group have listened and prayed and shared stories, growing closer as they talked about what grief has been like for them. 

Just this past week, National Public Radio (NPR) reported that British Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed a Minister of Loneliness for the United Kingdom. Apparently, loneliness in the United Kingdom has reached a critical level with more than 9 million people in a recent study claiming that they “always or often feel lonely.” It seems somewhat ridiculous that in today’s global society in which we are more connected than ever through social media and the internet, the experience of loneliness has reached such critical levels.