St. John Journey

September 2018

.

Fall is upon us, and it’s time to resume some of the activities we tabled for the summer. We

will begin our Tuesday Bible Study with a seven session course on How Lutherans Interpret

the Bible. Come and join one of our meeting times—the daytime one begins on Tuesday, Sept.

11th at 12:30PM (note earlier time)….bring a bag lunch if you desire. The same series will be

used on Tuesday evenings at 7PM beginning on Sept. 18th.

How Lutherans Interpret the Bible

Lutherans are unique in their approach to theology. Despite the theological divissions, between

the Lutheran denominations, Lutherans share a significant body of agreement on issues of bib-

lical interpretation.

Dr. Mark Allen Powell, a Lutheran pastor and Bible Professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary

presents how Lutherans interpret the Bible. Dr. Powell’s insights on the Bible are shared

through seven sessions and offer views for Bible studies and interpretations for multiple de-

nominations of the Christian faith.

This seven-session course Is great grounding for a congregation’s journey in the Book of Faith

initiative. A robust study guide supports the video material.

1. The Word of God (20. min.)

2. What Lutherans Say About the Bible (26 min.)

3. Where the Bible comes From (23 min.)

4. Interpreting the Bible in Context (29 min.)

5. Determining Right From Wrong (27 min.)

6. The Many Meanings of the Bible (26 min.)

7. Devotional Bible Reading (26 min.)

Pastor Scott

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Page 2 St . John Journey

St. John Choir Rehearsal 8:45 Musicians meet @6:30 on Wednesdays, 8:45

Choir will meet Wednesdays @7;

11:00 Choir will meet @10AM on Sundays.

Combined rehearsal with both choirs @7PM on Wednesday,

Sept. 26th

Quilters resume on Tuesday, September 11th—@9:30AM

No sewing experience required—come join them! Fellowship, snack,

and tying of quilts to donate to Lutheran World Relief, baby quilts for the hospital,

and some to sell or raffle/auction.

BREWING THEOLOGY—MONDAY

September 17th 6PM

Come out for interesting discussion, fellowship, and a beverage of

your choice on Monday September 17th, 6PM at Wolf Hills Brewery.

Bring a friend!!! A snack to share is always welcome.

ST. JOHN SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Sept. 2—Jean Greer

Sept. 3—Doris Vaught

Sept. 11—Brenda Murphy

Sept. 14—Larry Fuller

Sept. 27—Carla Proffitt

Sept. 29—Marty Dunn

If we missed your September birthday, please inform the church office.

St. John Serves at the Food Pantry This Month—Sept. 10th-14th

Please see sign-up sheet on the bulletin board—whatever time you can give!

Monday and Friday, 9AM-1PM, Tuesday 4-7PM

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FINANCIAL REPORT

St. John’s income slipped a little further over the summer, while expenses stayed mostly on track. St. John now has a $11K shortfall which is projected to grow to $15K by year end. Please come out and give generously! The Finance Team

Page 3 St . John Journey

Thank You for Supporting the Backpack Ministry

St. John started the Backpack Ministry in the fall of 2015. Our church supports E. B. Stanley Middle School, Abingdon

High School, and the Minnick School in Bristol. We supply backpacks to these schools on a weekly basis so that the

students will have food to eat on the weekends. We are currently doing 5 backpacks for EBS a week which will in-

crease as soon as Guidance gets signed permission forms from more students. AHS is receiving 15 backpacks and the

Minnick school gets 10 backpacks from St. John the first two weeks of every month with Redeemer Lutheran picking

up the last two weeks of the month. The support from the St. John congregation has been tremendous. We receive both

food and monetary donations. With these donations we are able to fill the backpacks each week and get them to the

schools by Wednesday so that the students have time to pick them up for the weekend. Thank you for your support of

such a great ministry.

Sincerely,

The Evangelism Committee

4

Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30

10:00AM

Assistant

Minister Edie Hiltebeitel Sid Vaught Ed Davis Joan Shaver Ken Croghan

Lector Joan Shaver Doris Vaught Bill Spencer Helen French John Gifford

Acolyte Sharon Meacham Chris Dixon Sharon

Meacham Chris Dixon

Sharon

Meacham

Reception Joan Shaver The Murphys Sandy Davis The Spencers The Churches

Counters Jim Kroll

Tom Van Dyke

Gary Halverson

Parker Keen

Helen French

Doris Vaught

Jim Kroll

Tom Van Dyke

Gary Halverson

Parker Keen

Ushers The Lovetts The Honakers The Meachams The Spencers The Krolls

Altar Guild Edie Hiltebeitel Carol Halverson Helen Findley Helen French Helen Findley

Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23

Sept. 30 Assistant

Minister Ray Whitner Ray Whitner Ray Whitner Ray Whitner no

Lector Charlie Garnett Kelly Read Joel Rosen Dave Morris 8:45

Usher Dave Morris worship

Altar Guild Jean Harley Kelly Read Louise Sansing Carole Ann

Rosen today

Stewardship

8:45AM service

11:00AM service

If you cannot serve on your scheduled day, please make arrangements with another

person and call the office to let the secretary know.

Sept. 2

Deut. 4:1-2,6-9

James 1:17-27

Mark 7:1-8,14-15,

21-23

Sept. 16

Isaiah 50:4-9a

James 3:1-12

Mark 8:27-38

Sept. 23

Jeremiah 11:18-20

James 3:13—4:3,7-

8a

Mark 9:30-37

Sept. 30

Numbers 11:4-6,10-

16,24-29

James 5:13-20

Mark 9:38-50

Sept. 9

Isaiah 35:4-7a

James 2:1-17

Mark 7:24-37

Lectionary Readings for the Month

Page 4 St. John Journey

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FAMILY AND FRIENDS SERVING IN THE MILITARY

Marine Major John Wilson, son-in-law of Mel Schnelle, stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC.

Marine Sgt. Zachery Martynuik (pronounced “Martinik”), son-in-law of Beth Roberts, sta-

tioned at Camp Lejeune, NC

Army Reserve SSgt. Brandon McKee, grandson-in-law of Helen Findley, home from Iraq.

U.S. Army PFC William Salmon, grandson of Joan Shaver, stationed at Ft. Wainwright, AK.

Dylan Blevins, U.S. Airman, temporarily stationed at Ft. Lee, VA, will go to Nevada.

U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant Caleb Findley, grandson of Helen Findley, graduated from Officers

Training School, Ft. Benning, GA.

U.S. Army Captain Lukas Findley, grandson of Helen Findley, stationed at Ft. Meyers, VA

with 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment.

Zach Skipworth, U.S. Army, husband of Lana Daston Skipworth, deployed to Afghanistan,

with 2-77 Field Artillery Bravo Battery.

St. John Journey Page 5

Steve Kluttz David Read Mike Abbott

Jerry French Nita Horton John Peake

Helen Findley Elizabeth Holmes Barry Link

Dara Gibson Bob McCracken

Howard Jones Neela Davidson

Ongoing Prayer Concerns of the Congregation

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Congregation Meeting September 16th 10:00AM

St. John will have a Congregation meeting on Sunday September 16th at 10AM (between the

services). Please make plans to stay after 8:45 Worship or arrive early for 11:00 Worship. We

will be selecting by lot 4 Church Council members for 2019. There is a box on the table in the

entryway —to submit your name, just write it on a slip of paper and drop into the sealed box.

You may also submit someone else’s name if they have given you permission to do so. On

Sunday Sept. 16th, four names will be chosen randomly from those in the box. Please consider

prayerfully your willingness to serve St. John as a Church Council Member.

Thank You From My Refuge House

Dear St. John Lutheran Church,

Thank you for your generosity in the first half of 2018, and welcome to the second half of the year! Because

of your generosity we have: provided for the basic needs, education, and daily therapeutic care to 18 girls in

long-term aftercare and 6 girls in transitional aftercare. We are also working with their families to create

healthier and stronger families beyond our walls. We have supported and encouraged a robust and growing

alumni program through quarterly retreats and gatherings. We have trained 200 members of student groups,

church groups, and law enforcement on prevention and being positive bystanders through the iSpeak program!

We recently had a beautifull and joyful celebration on ampus for our 10th anniversary year. Please let us know

if you would like to participate in smaller celebrations or our strategic visioning process as we look toward the

next ten years! We love your faithful support! Together we are Restoring One Life At A Time.

Thank you for being a community leading the way toward awareness and justice and hope! See you at Christ-

mastime!

Peace,

Heather Bland

Preschool Fundraiser @PIZZA INN

Come out for all you can eat pizza for $10 per person

Monday, September 24th, 5-8PM@PIZZA INN

Proceeds go to St. John Preschool

See Jill Morris or Sharon Meacham for tickets

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St. John Journey

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

2 Pentecost 15

8:45AM Worship

10:00AM 11:00 Choir

11:00AM Worship

3

Labor Day

Church

Office

closed

4

5 6:30PM Musi-cians 7:00PM 8:45 Choir

6 7 1 ————— 8God’s

Work/Our

Hands @

HMLRC

9 Pentecost 16

8:45AM Worship

10:00AM 11:00 choir

11:00AM Worship

10

9AM-1PM

Food Pan-

try

12 6:30PM Musi-cians 7:00PM 8:45 Choir

13 14 9AM-

1PM

Food

Pantry

15

16 Pentecost 17

8:45AM Worship

10:00AM Congrega-

tion meeting

11:00AM Worship

17

6:00PM

Brewing

Theology

18 9:30AM Quilting 12:30PM Bible Study 7:00PM Bible Study

19 6:30PM Musi-cians 7:00PM 8:45 Choir

20 7:00PM Council

21 22

23 Pentecost 18

8:45AM Worship

10:00AM 11:00 choir

11:00AM Worship

24

5PM-8PM

Preschool

Fundraiser

@ Pizza

Inn

25 9:30AM Quilting 12:30PM Bible Study 7:00PM Bible Study

26 6:30PM Musi-cians 7:00PM Combined Choirs

27 28

29

30 Pentecost 19

10:00AM Worship

Heartland Liturgy

September2018

11 9:30AM Quilting 12:30PM Bible Study 4-7PM Food Pan-try 7:00PM Evangelism

Page 7

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St. John Lutheran Church

807 E. Main St.

Abingdon, VA 24210

Phone: 276-628-6215

Email:stjohnlutheran@stjohnabingdon.comcast

biz.

We are a community of believers, gathered by the Spirit, washed in Baptism, marked with the cross of Christ, nourished by Word and Sacrament, called to respond to God's gifts of grace, and set apart as disciples of Jesus Christ for a life of learning, witness, and service.

St. John Lutheran Church

807 E. Main St.

Abingdon, VA 24210

Address Service Requested

Staff

G. Scott Homesley

pastorscott@stjohnabingdon.comcastbiz.net

Home Phone: 276-200-2629

Cell Phone: 276-525-5801

Joan Shaver, Parish Secretary

stjohnlutheran@stjohnabingdon.comcastbiz.net

Office hours 9-12 Tuesday-Friday

Wrenda Fuller, Music Director

wrendafuller@gmail.com

Council

2018 2019 2020

Carla Proffitt Steve Kluttz Ken Croghan

Sandy Davis Paul Read Chris Meacham

Brenda Murphy Cheryl Carrico Bill Spencer

Carolyn Church, Financial Secretary

Steve Kluttz, Treasurer

St. John Lutheran is a congregation of the Virginia Synod

of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop, ELCA

The Rev. Bob Humphrey, Bishop, Virginia Synod