weekly e-newsleetter
St. John e-newsletter August 29, 2010
Sunday School for 5th graders and older (teens) will resume September 12 after church with a special study‹after a light lunch.
Sunday school for younger children, now called Children's Church, will be held during church (like Enrichment). (Except for Communion Sundays, when they will remain in church with the adults.)
Copies of the September Messenger were available for pickup after church.
Cora Flispart won a blue ribbon at the Ky. State fair.
St. John T-shirt design contest! Ideas for the design of a new St. John T-shirt are solicited. Incorporate the name of the church and what the church means to you. Submit ideas to the session by Sept. 19, before the September session meeting (Sept. 21).
Watch for adjustments in the order of worship on Sundays, including welcome and announcements before the service, beginning at 10:20, and more time for silent reflection before and during the service.
There will be two (2) Thursday evening studies‹the ³Sermon Group² with Pastor Allen and an ³About Faith² study of the Apostles Creed led by Mick Finch ‹ beginning September 9, 6 pm
‹preceded by the Prayer Team, 5:45 5:55 pm
Choir practice resumes ‹ Thursdays, September 9, 7 pm
Handbell choir resumes ‹ Sunday, September 12, 8:45 am
The Thoughtful Christians study group will also resume after church on Sunday, Sept. 12.
Presbyterian Women, Circle 1‹Change in schedule: This month Circle 1 will meet this Tuesday, August 31, at Janet Campbell¹s home. 7 pm. Directions to Janet¹s house are posted in Memorial Hall.
Reminders:
Special! € A Jazz Music Worship Service, September 5, with Chuck Marohnic, world renowned jazz musician. With 35 albums and CDs distributed under his name, this pianist, educator, author, composer, and arranger has spent over 40 years in the music profession.
€ Harvest Homecoming (October. 7-10) / dough rolling Monday and Tuesday evenings
5 pm 7:30 PM (except Monday, Sept. 6, Labor Day) and Saturday mornings, 8 am 11 am..
€ Laughter Workshop ‹ Sunday, September 12
€ Trip to West Baden ‹ Saturday, October 16; tour at 2 pm (Contact Jaci Owen)
€ Pipes & Pumpkins, Costumes & Candy program ‹ Saturday, October 23, 1:00 pm
€ Presbytery Cluster Youth Event ‹ Saturday, November 13, 3:00-8:00 pm
€ The Fellowship Committee is considering a chili cook-off, November 13. Contact Jaci Owen
if interested.
€ Stock the shelves of the New Albany Dare to Care Food Pantry in September. Bring the following items during August and September for this Interfaith Community Council outreach:
Canned fruit Fruit juice
Pasta Canned vegetables
Tomato sauce Canned meat
Boxed meals Hot and cold cereal
Snack foods Toiletry items
Cleaning supplies Laundry detergent
Help Us Fill Our Bags: Through Sunday, Sept. 19, the deacons will be collecting the following items to make up Assistance Bags for people struggling with hunger in our community.
Boxes of mac and cheese Rolled oats
Spaghetti noodles and sauce Crackers
Canned soups Bars of soap
Tuna or other canned meat Dried beans
Canned vegetables or fruit Peanut butter
Plastic jars of juice Toilet tissue
You can donate by check as well, marking your check (payable to St. John Presbyterian Church) for ³Food Pantry.²
Pakistan is currently witnessing one of the worst human tragedies in history. The unprecedented floods have rendered millions of Pakistanis homeless and destroyed their livelihoods. Thousands have lost their lives. The relief goods are being looted by hungry and angry people, and general masses are disappointed by the government`s performance, inefficient bureaucracy and inadequacy. There is an increasing sense of disillusionment, even despair regarding the future growth of Pakistan.
The Presbyterian Education Board in Lahore is the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan¹s board overseeing a number of schools originally begun by Presbyterian missionaries. They are joining with others in relief efforts, and report these statistics:
1 in 10 Pakistanis has been left destitute
one-fifth of Pakistan is in the severe flood zone
6 million are homeless and without shelter
3.5 million children are exposed to the risk of fatal waterborne diseases
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) currently has one missionary couple in Pakistan, located in Lahore‹not in the area of the floods.
You can contribute to PDA by putting your check in one of the pew envelopes (or any envelope) or sending it to the church office marked for Pakistan relief. Or donate online to account DR000038 at http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/pda/pakistan/
Melinda and Brent Snader (and also Anna and Asha) have received visas to return to India this fall. One of the reasons they had left India when they did was that it was uncertain if and what type of visas they would have on return. Under the auspices of Christ Community Ministries, they will now be working with an Indian NGO that is doing church-planting and evangelism in remote mountain villages and is eager to add medical work to care for the needs of the people as well as to open more doors for the gospel‹the very thing Brent is trained for. They are tentatively planning to leave for India toward the end of October. They will be living in Mussoorie, where the girls will attend an international school.
A call for respect for Muslim neighbors. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the General Assembly, and Linda Valentine, executive director of the General Assembly Mission Council, have issued the following statement: "As we are nearing the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we continue our prayers for those who lost their lives or were injured, as well as their loved ones. At the same time, we join with others in expressing deep concern about the anti-Muslim sentiments and actions that are being expressed across the country in general and about the building of Cordoba House and mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center in New York City in particular. We stand with the majority of Muslims‹including American Muslims‹who are working against radical influences in their communities. They have our support for building the Cordoba House as a community center dedicated to learning, compassion, and respect for all people. Their effort is consistent with our country¹s principle of freedom of religion and the rights all citizens should enjoy.
Weekly financial information
Offering received Sunday, August 22: $3,872.00
Average weekly expense: $4,038.00
Averaged weekly pledges: $3,514.42
Spiritual Exercise for the week of August 29: Could you be better at following God¹s directions? Which one(s) in particular?
Next Sunday: Continuing in a series of worship services based on 1 Thessalonians ‹ Sept. 5, special Jazz Music worship.
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