Ministry Planning Update - Vision Development

Our strategic planning process continues to make progress towards a ministry plan and we wanted to share an update with you. 

In October, we concluded efforts to gather feedback from our members on different ministry options. A summary of the feedback was also mailed home to members.

Now our leaders are working to take the feedback provided by our members to develop a mission and vision. This past Saturday, our leaders met for a working session to define a first draft. Our ministry planning consultant, Pastor Stroh, will be back on-site on Saturday December 5th to facilitate a more detailed planning session with our leaders. In this session we will complete the first draft of our ministry plan. This plan will then be shared with our members to gather further input.

As leaders we thank God for the opportunity to plan the work He has called us to do and we are excited to share the resulting plan with you. In the mean-time, please continue to pray that God blesses our efforts as a congregation. We know the Holy Spirit has the power to succeed in spreading the Gospel. 

God has blessed St. John with the pure and powerful Word, a “golden hearted” congregation, a dedicated core group of members, and a large facility on a large property. Through the Holy Spirit, we can use these blessings to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, starting right here on the East side of St. Paul.

SCLA - Christmas Homestays Needed

We are still in need of host families for several boys this Christmas. If your family (or another trustworthy party you know) is willing to help out with hosting December 18/19 - January 2/3, please let me know. A $600 stipend per student is granted for hosting.

To expedite the process, I have attached a Background Check Application. Anyone in your household who is 18 or older would need to apply to have a check run. (If your 18+ family member has had a check within the past 10 months and can provide us a copy, it would save SCLA some money.)

There is also a fillable online form that would help me place the students. It provides information regarding pets, and other household details which help me with placement.

If you are willing to even consider being an emergency contact, please let me know that and the best way to reach you.

 Tamara Julian

Dormitory Student Advisor

St. Croix Lutheran Academy

Office - (651) 455-1521 ext. 1118

TJulian@StCroixLutheran.org

Elizabeth Raether called home to heaven

Elizabeth Raether, a resident of "The Shores of Lake Phalen," was taken home to heaven this week.  A private graveside service will be held.  Blessed are those who die in the Lord!

Advent and Christmas Eve Services

 

There will be an Advent service on December 9, at 6:00 PM.  

Christmas Eve service on December 24, at 4:00 PM.

Thank you Pastor Berg

We thank the Lord for bringing Pastor Berg to St John to serve us as our Vacancy Pastor for the past year.  Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, we are not able to have a fellowship gathering with coffee and cake to thank him for his service to St. John.  We are asking that our members thank him personally with a card/monetary gift.  There is a card box located in the church office for your thank you cards. 

November 2020 - Good Newsletter

  

November 2020

Hallelujah!

This year in our monthly articles we are considering favorite verses from the Bible. 

This month’s favorite Bible verse is:  Psalm 118:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Psalm 118 is an “Hallelujah” psalm, meaning “Praise the LORD!” Long ago, God’s people sang the words of this psalm toward the end of their Passover meal. It was a special occasion time for God’s people to remember how he had rescued their nation from slavery in Egypt; it was a picture of God’s rescue of all people from their slavery to sin. The Passover meal reminded each generation how much God truly loved them.

Would disaster continue to interrupt their lives? Would prosperity be withheld? Would earthly death continue to pick away at their loved ones? Yes, yes, and yes. Yet the people sang out praise and thanks to their merciful God for deliverance from all these trials of life. . . and more: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4,5).

It is the custom in North America to gather this time of year to celebrate Thanksgiving. Whether you are with family, friends, or celebrating alone, take the time to give thanks to our Savior-God for his mercy and deliverance from death through Jesus. Jesus shows us that God is good. Even when times are tough, Jesus proves that his love for us endures forever.

Upcoming Events at St. John:

Worship Services: Sunday 11:00 AM.

Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM.

Thanksgiving Eve service on Nov 25 at 6:00 PM

Visit our website at stjohnev.net

For more information or to unsubscribe go to newsletter@stjohnev.net or call us at 651-771-6406

Divine Call Accepted

 At our Special Voter's meeting on November 1, Pastor Allen Schleusener from Mt. Olive Ev. Lutheran Church in St. Paul, MN was given a Divine Call to be our next Vacancy Pastor.  I am happy to announce that our Lord has led him to accept this Call.  This call will be effective on December 1.  Pastor Berg's call expires on Nov 30. 

SCLA - Veterans Day 2020

While we are unable to have our annual Veterans Day Tribute in person this year, we'd still like to express our thanks for Veterans virtually!

Tune in to the Wednesday, November 11 chapel message streaming live at 10:32 a.m. and then posted to YouTube shortly afterward to watch anytime.

Enjoy special messages from SCLA parent Jamie Fischer and alumnus Keagan Smith ('15), followed by the "Salute to America's Finest" filmed at last year's event, featuring the song for each military branch.

View the list of alumni veterans and current military personnel.

Thank you to all who have served!
God's blessings!

SCLA Event Updates

 The 2020 Fall Concert premieres this Sunday, November 1 at 6:00 p.m. on YouTube! The concert will be posted until Sunday, November 8, 6:00 p.m. and then removed from YouTube and the internet in accordance with our license agreements. Visit StCroixLutheran.org/FallConcert for more information and to see behind-the-scenes pictures during production!

In place of the usual Chili and Pie Fundraiser that takes place prior to the concert, the MPO has created a video to let you know about some of the exciting things going on in the music department! View it at StCroixLutheran.org/MPOFundraiser

Vacancy Pastor

At our Special Voter's meeting on November 1, Pastor Alan Schleusener from Mt. Olive Ev. Lutheran Church in St. Paul, MN was given a Divine Call to be our next Vacancy Pastor.  This call will be effective on December 1.  Pastor Berg's call expires on Nov 30.