St. John's Lutheran Church Logo

APRIL 2023

Share This Newsletter:
facebook linkedin twitter email 
image_print

ST. JOHN'S REPORTER

Introducing a new era of communication: St. John's digital newsletter.

Each month, you'll receive the latest updates from St. John's, right in your inbox. This new format will allow us to communicate and share information with one another in a more efficient fashion.

Pastor John Albers, Rev. John M. Albers

Ministry With God’s People

By Pastor John Albers

From Ashes to Fire

Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, and Pentecost are really intended to be seen as one event celebrating the heart of the good news of our redemption in Christ Jesus.
From Ashes to Fire

Worship Calendar

Several event names will be linked to additional information available
by clicking on the name of the event.

Worship for Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum

April 1/2 – Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday
  • 6 pm, 8am & 9:30am – Divine Service with Procession with Palms
April 6 – Maundy Thursday, the Paschal Day of our Lord's Supper
  • 10 am & 6:30pm – Divine Service with Reconciliation of the Penitents(Stripping of the Altar at the conclusion of the evening service.)
April 7 – Good Friday, the Paschal Day of our Lord's Death
  • Noon – Liturgy of the Cross
  • 6:30pm – Way of the Cross
No worship service on Saturday, April 8.

April 9 – Easter Sunday, the Paschal Day of our Lord's Resurrection
  • 6:30am – Sunrise Celebration
  • 10:00am – Festive of the Resurrection of Our Lord

Worship for Easter

April 15/16 – Second Sunday of Easter
  • 6 pm & 8 am – Divine Service, Setting 1
  • 9:30 am – Connect Word and Song
April 22/23 – Third Sunday of Easter
  • 6 pm & 8 am – Prayer and Preaching
  • 9:30 am – Connect Word and Communion
April 29/30 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
  • 6 pm & 8am – Divine Service, Setting 1
  • 9:30 am – Connect Word and Communion
May 6/7 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
  • 6 pm & 8 am – Divine Service, Setting 1
  • 9:30 am – Connect Word and Song
May 13/14 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Each service includes a prayer of Thanksgiving for Mothers
  • 6 pm – Evening Prayer
  • 8 am – Morning Prayer with Paschal Blessing
  • 9:30 am – Connect Word and Communion
May 18 – Ascension of Our Lord
  • 8:10 am – Morning Prayer (with SJLS Chapel)
  • 6:30 pm – Divine Service (spoken)
May 20/21 – Seventh Sunday of Easter
  • 6 pm & 8 am – Divine Service, Setting 1
  • 9:30 am – Connect Word and Song

Looking ahead to Pentecost and its Season

  • May 28, Day of Pentecost
  • June 3, Eighth Grade Graduation
  • June 4, Holy Trinity
  • June 11, Feast of St. Barnabas
  • June 18, Father’s Day

Special Events in our Calendar

Passover Seder 2023

Passover Seder 2023
Categories: Church News - Homepage, Church Events

Pastor Albers and Debra will once again be hosting a Passover Seder Meal for their St. John's family and friends.

This Passover Seder is intended to be an educational experience, as well as a reason to celebrate. The event is designed to give us as close a picture as possible of a traditional Jewish Passover Meal. It is NOT intended to be a replication of the meal Jesus celebrated with his disciples “on the night when he was betrayed”. The texts and traditions, however, have been handed down over the generations so they likely reflect something of what happened on that evening.

The Seder is the covenant meal of the Jewish people but it also gives us a look at the roots of our own covenant meal, the Lord’s Supper. We read through the Haggadah, the liturgy for the evening, and eat the Passover meal recognizing the fact that is is not a particularly “Christian” celebration. It is, however, a gathering of Christian people and because of that we will look for the promise of the Messiah throughout the celebration.

Our celebration is held annually on the Tuesday of Holy Week rather than trying to synchronize with the actual date of Passover, which is a moveable feast in Judaism and often lines up with our own Holy Week service schedule. Locating the service in the middle of Holy Week provides a timely opportunity to learn more and celebrate the freedom won for us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

A donation of $20-$25 per person helps to cover the cost of the Seder. Donations in addition to this will help cover the cost for someone who cannot afford to pay.

Plan now to join us on Tuesday, April 4, beginning at 6pm.

Church Updates

Holy Week and Easter

Holy Week and Easter

"This is the center of our story, the source from which everything else flows."

Worship for Holy Week and Easter will be even more memorable this year. Beginning the weekend of April 2nd (with Saturday evening worship on April 1), the most holy of weeks will be filled with ten (10) services and events. Be sure to make plans to be at church all week! All of the services will be in the church sanctuary.

Sunday of the Passion with Procession with Palms

April 2 at 8am & 9:30am (April 1 @ 6pm)

April 2nd is Palm Sunday and with that comes an opportunity to not only celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry, but also hear the entire story of the Passion from Matthew's gospel. We begin with the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and within moments our thoughts will turn to His betrayal by Judas, his trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, and his crucifixion. A homily will bring some things into clearer focus before we once again gather at the Lord's altar.  

Maundy Thursday, the Paschal Day of the Lord's Supper

April 6 at 10am & 6:30pm

Maundy Thursday takes its name from the Lord's command (maundatum) to love one another, demonstrated most clearly in Jesus' washing the disciples' feet. Our worship on that day includes several critical pieces that both bring an end to the season of Lent, and then begin the Paschal Triduum, the three holy days. 

The Reconciliation of the Penitents begins our worship service. On Ash Wednesday we made corporate confession of our sins and then individually approached the altar to receive a cross of ashes as a reminder of our sinfulness and the promise of redemption (it's a cross, not just a smudge of ashes). On Maundy Thursday we are confess our sins and then are invited to come forward individually to receive absolution.  We once again gather at the altar to celebrate the supper our Lord institute on "the night when he was betrayed."

The evening service concludes with the Stripping of the Altar as all hints of celebration our removed, leaving the sanctuary as bare as possible in advance of services on Good Friday.

Good Friday, the Paschal Day of our Lord's Death

April 7 at Noon & 6:30pm

The tone for Good Friday is somber and reflective. We gather for the Liturgy of the Cross at noon, the hour our Lord was crucified to focus our attention on the punishment our Lord receives in our place. The day will end with the Way of the Cross liturgy at 6:30pm, drawing even more attention to the horror of the cross itself.

The Celebration of Easter, the Paschal Day of our Lord's Resurrection

April 9 at 6:30am & 10:00am

A Sunrise Celebration begins our day. While the sanctuary remains dark and the tone is rather somber at the very beginning of the service, the Easter Proclamation makes clear that the day is focused on the joy of resurrection! Our processions and hymns of praise will focus on the news the women receive and bring to the disciples early in the morning on that first day of the week.

The Festival Service at 10:00am on that day is the chief celebration of our Lord's Resurrection. The hymns and readings continue to proclaim that Christ has, indeed, been risen.

Five persons will be receiving the Sacrament of Holy Baptism on Easter morning! Young adults and older children who have been receiving instruction through this past year and especially in the month of March will be received into the fellowship of God's people, one at the Sunrise Celebration and the other four at the Festival Service.

Projects

Project Welcome Update

The new family restroom is complete and the Vertical Platform Lift is awaiting state inspection!
Project Welcome Update

April Project Day

April Project Day
Work on April 15 will include projects at both the church and school, for folks of every skill level! Everything from cleaning and organizing to wiring and digging).

Bible Studies

W.O.W. Makes Plans for the Spring

W.O.W. Makes Plans for the Spring
After helping to organize and lead our Lenten Series, "Lord, Teach us to Pray," this year, the W.O.W. (Women of the Word) study is making plans to begin a new study the week after Easter. Plan now to join the group beginning Wednesday, April 12, at 6:00pm.  "What the Women Saw" is a study that uses a series of video presentations and an accompany study guide to help participants better appreciate the women whose names we know well, but whose lives may remain a mystery to us.

What the Women Saw

"Do women matter to the kingdom of God?

Jesus was surrounded by both men and women during his ministry on earth. He saw, valued, and cared for women, and he still does today. Each one of us has a significant role.

Through this six-session study, you will discover who Jesus is through the unique perspective of women in the Bible. As you study the lives of Mary, Martha, Mary Magdalene and others, you will learn from their faith and failures and be reminded that Jesus cared for and valued the women he was surrounded by. He equipped them, listened to them, walked with them, healed them, and empowered them. And he does the same for you now."

Take a look at the video trailer for the series:

Click here to view media.

Regular Study Opportunities at St. John's

Regular Study Opportunities at St. John's
There are currently three regularly-scheduled bible study opportunities at St. John’s:

Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study

A group of a dozen or so adults join in a study on Sunday mornings following worship at 10:45 am. A look at the Acts of the Apostles, especially the readings appointed for use on Sundays during Easter, will be the focus in April and May.

Women of the Word

Women of the Word will begin a new study will on April 12. Take a look at their detailed plans:  WOW Spring Study Plans

Men’s Bible Study

Recognizing that the second Saturday of April is between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it has been decided to cancel our April Men's Bible Study.  We will resume Bible Study again on May 13th at 8:00am in the Church basement. As always, bring others with you as well as your coffee. A new study will begin in May. If you have thoughts, email Roland at lovstadent@gmail.com or call 573-768-1401. The study concludes by 9:30 am.
Mark Jerndt

Growing in Christ:

Devotions to Strengthen Your Life with God

By Mark Jerndt

Knowing the Shepherd

Knowing the Shepherd
How much of your day do you spend letting go, and letting God be God in your life?  How often do you stop to breathe and recognize His peace?  In a world that is so rarely “still”, taking time to consistently be still and let go is not all that easy, is it?

Eagle Updates

Don’t miss this latest news from St. John’s School

The faculty and staff of St. John's Lutheran School are busy leading students into a great future: Math Competition, improved assessment results, Career Day, and more!
Don’t miss this latest news from St. John’s School

Special Events in our School Calendar

Special Events in our School Calendar
Plan now to be a part of several special events in our school calendar.

5th Grade Teacher

SJLS is seeking a 5th grade teacher for the 2023/24 school year.
5th Grade Teacher

Our School's Calendar

Some events may be linked to additional information available
by clicking on the event.

Important March Dates

Important April Dates:
April 1-10: Spring Break
April 11 & 12: Intramural Floor Hockey grades 4-8, 2:30 pm - 4 pm
April 14: Easter/Spring room parties at 1:30 pm
April 15: Church & School Workday
April 17-27: iLEARN Grades 3-8
April 24: Open Enrollment officially begins
April 24: NEST Meeting at 3:30 pm
April 25: Middle School Open House at 5:00 pm
April 27: Project Night: K-8, 5:30-6:30 pm
April 29: Nelson’s Port-a-Pit Fundraiser (4th-6th Grade) 10 am

Looking ahead

Save the Date:
  • Teacher Appreciation Week is May 1-5
  • May 10: Spring Musical 6 pm
  • May 15: Field Day at Bremen (K-8)
  • May 26: PK/K Graduation
  • May 31: Last Day of School/Grade Cards go home and last Chapel Services of the Year
9 am - Awards program for Grades K-3
10 am - Awards program Grades 4-8

Student Stories

Honor Roll 3rd Quarter

Check out the number of our Eagle Students who achieved academic honors!
Honor Roll

Spring Student Activities

St. John's Lutheran School
Our teachers and other volunteers help make possible all sorts of additional activities for our school children: coding club and art club to name just a few. Check out our student activities and let the school office know if you want to help with one or more of them.
St. John's Lutheran Church Logo
facebook twitter linkedin 
Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Manage your subscription
111 Kingsbury Ave, La Porte, IN 46350
219.362.3726
Email Marketing Powered by MailPoet