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Saint John’s

Saint John’s Summer Rummage Sale

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Written by Sharlene Haas Sharlene Haas

Created: August 29 2022 August 29 2022

This update is quite overdue, but before we move into Fall and prepare for school and sweaters and mixing spiced gourds into our coffees and quick breads, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the many, many individuals who contributed to this year’s church Rummage Sale. (there have been several discussions about the appropriate term since it is neither in a “garage” nor a “yard,” and so we have settled, at least for now, on “rummage”!)

For those who haven’t heard or have simply forgotten, we hosted a two-day sale in early July as a fundraising event for Saint John’s youth. The funds would be used to help with group activities, as well as to help with registration expenses for those interested in attending the Lutheran Valley Retreat. Members donated the items, and our volunteers organized, priced and sold them. At the end of those two days, the beautiful and bright Jeannie Benson and her counter team tallied up all the nickels and dimes and dollars and checks and declared that we had raised approximately $3,700! A success, indeed!

Typically an annual event, the last sale was held in 2019, and there was some catching up to do. Donations had been squirreled away in our building over the last three years and needed to be sorted and dusted and brought back out into the light. Two of our members generously donated estate items and entire wardrobes of loved ones who had passed. Other members had been holding onto donations and were eager to drop them off the week of the sale. Arlene Peters and Jo Fredin both donated a beautiful collection of houseplants, and shoppers scooped those up fervently! It was a busy week of preparation and our volunteers, each of whom was essential, are due a thorough and public display of gratitude. Let’s start with those who showed up daily and exceeded expectations in every way:

• Jo and Del Fredin: Without their experience, guidance and steady hands we would’ve been so deeply entrenched in weeds on that first day that there would’ve been no getting out.
• Laura Abel and Whitney Starck: if these two don’t start a packing and moving business together, that’d truly be a missed opportunity. These remarkable women brought so much order and ease to things that could’ve been chaotic; everything ran more smoothly because of them.
• Tom Miles: if this were the mafia, Tom would be the “Cleaner.” If anything unforeseen happened, Tom stepped in and took care of it. He also moved heavy things effortlessly and went above and beyond when it came time to get rid of any unsold items.

There were many tasks to tend to between setting up and tearing down and I want to extend my sincerest appreciation to all who helped: Pastor Nettleton, Wendy Nettleton, Mary Hert, Cindy Starck, Greg Bruny, Tracy Young, LeOra Spence, Audrey Douglas, Jessica Stephens, Jennifer Wolf, Kathi Calvano, RoxAnn Karkhoff-Schweizer, Sharon Gibbons, Irene Mews Twogood, Fran Roth and Anita and Dale Walters. I also want to thank Nelly Sanford and Sue Gardner for providing a blueprint and sharing their tips, Linda Funke for being an incredible cheerleader, as well as a thank you to anyone who donated items or baked goods for our bake sale.

These lists are not yet complete as there is one last group who turned up and were wonderful: our kids! Emily, Harley, Kaitlyn (and Kaitlin’s friend Kiera), Ellie, Lucy, Olivia, Alaina, Presley, Connelly, McCoy, Silas, Hannah, Nicholas, Alexander, Caleb, Alice and Gabriel. These kids spent hours helping un-box and set-up and price and sell items. They ran the bake sale and made signs to hold by the street to attract traffic. They provided excellent customer service and were cheerful and responsible and vital to the event’s success.

As rewarding as it was to have made money that will get put to good use, nothing tops witnessing the camaraderie and fellowship that took place over the course of the week. We got to spend time together in a way that has not been afforded us in a good long while, we got to encourage each other at the end of a long week, and we got to eat meals and chat and know each other a little bit better. To see our doors open and our halls filled with people was a complete delight. The fire, I think, has been lit. Let’s keep it burning!

Saint John’s Youth Ministry teaches and plans activities for the middle school and high school students of the congregation, including Sunday morning Bible study, midweek confirmation classes (typically grades six and seven) and fellowship get-togethers.

Catechism Retreat

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Created: March 23 2022 March 23 2022

This year our youth are once again invited to attend the regional Catechism Retreat at Lutheran Valley Retreat (near Woodland Park, Colorado). From June 20 to June 23, each day will begin with Luther’s morning prayer. There will be daily Bible studies taught by attending pastors, where the students will learn about the sacraments, and fun activities provided by the talented LVR staff. Then, each day will end with Luther’s Evening Prayer.

LVR is a summer youth camp and year round retreat center located on 240 acres in the middle of Pike National Forest. Activities available in the beautiful location are fishing, hiking, crafts, capture-the-flag, bouldering, rappelling, a high ropes course, horseback riding, archery and other adventure challenges!

The 2022 theme is Baptism: Washed with the Word. Pastors Brian Flamme (of Immanuel Lutheran, Roswell, New Mexico) and Bryan Wolfmueller (pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas) will host. The cost is $165 per retreater and $125 per chaperone. If you are interested in signing up your sixth- to eighth-grade child, please fill out the registration form, below, and return it to Pastor Nettleton.

The Board of Education coordinates, plans and supervises educational activities to further the congregation’s growth in Christian knowledge and responsibility.

New Books in the Library

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Written by Joyce Hart Joyce Hart

Created: March 27 2020 March 27 2020

Spring is a time of change, and the library at Saint John’s is not exempt! We’ve been making several changes this Spring.

The first change is the arrangement of books. We’ve had to move books around to allow for our growing collection. But we believe books are now easier to find than ever! Feel free to browse or use the “card catalog” in the binder on top of the shelves, toward the left end.

The second change involves the numerous books being added to the library. Look for the shelf labelled “New Books” and you will find the following:

A daily devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

Books on Christian living and relationships, including Your Marriage by God’s Design by Scott and Julie Stiegemeyer, LadyLike by Rebekah Curtis and Rose Adle, Relationships: How to Make Bad Relationships Better and Good Relationships Great by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott and Divorce Busting: A Step By Step Approach to Making Your Marriage Loving Again by Michele Weiner-Davis.

Books for families of young children: Boys Should Be Boys: Seven Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons by Meg Meeker, M.D. and Strong Mothers, Strong Sons: Lessons Mothers Need to Raise Extraordinary Men by Meg Meeker, M.D..

Bible study books: The Historical Reliability of the Gospels by Craig L. Blomberg, Ecclesiastes: Total Life by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. and God’s Design for Man and Woman: A Biblical Theological Survey by Margaret E. Köstenberger.

Stop by the library, take a look at the changes and feel free to check out any book you find interesting. Happy reading!

Joyce Hart volunteers every Wednesday in the church office and has been cataloging and managing the church library.

Sip, Savor and Drink Deeply

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Written by Sharon Gibbons Sharon Gibbons

Created: February 21 2020 February 21 2020

In our ladies’ Wednesday morning Bible study book, “Sip, Savor and Drink Deeply,” we are learning to understand that our Lord wants our company and invites us to meet with Him in His word. Just as we look forward to meeting with a friend over a cup of coffee, we meet Him with our “cup” –our self—to receive the outpouring of His grace, His joy and His peace.

Recently our group had fun designing and creating cups with individual personalized messages. Each of us will give our cup to someone to share the message of God’s love.

The Board of Education coordinates, plans and supervises educational activities to further the congregation’s growth in Christian knowledge and responsibility.