The Voice - April - 2016 - St. John Lutheran Church, ELCA

St. John is called by Christ to be a Sanctuary
that Welcomes and Serves All
April 2016
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
So goes the ancient Easter greeting in the Christian Church. I encourage us all to greet one another with this greeting, not just on Easter Sunday,
but throughout most of the Easter Season, up until
Ascension Day. Not just to say “Hey, how ya
doin’?” when we see one another, but to say,
“Hey, Joe, Christ is risen:” “He is risen indeed,
Jane!” It may seem a little contrived at first, but
try it out. You might find it informs your consciousness during this bright season, this week of weeks
when we celebrate Christ’s victory over death, a victory that he shares with us.
In a way, it’s a subversive greeting. It goes against the grain of the world, and all
our life experience. Most of us have known the pain of grieving the death of someone we love. Some of us have come very close to death ourselves. Many of us are
very afraid of death. Those of us “of a certain age” feel our bodies slowing down,
and the older we get, we are more aware that we will die one day. It is the great
inevitability, the end we know we must come to, and which punctuates our lives.
But in Jesus Christ, God has undone death. It is no longer the reality which holds
the final judgment on our lives. The God who created the cosmos and all the life in
it has declared that nothing, not even our own sin, or the world’s sin, will deprive
us of the abundant joy God wants to give us. God died, but he did not die; the Father raised Christ from the dead! And so, even though we will one day die, we will
not die; we will partake in Christ'
So in a world in which death is all around us, and evil realities threaten and terrorize with threats of death – be it cancer, terrorism, or Satan himself – the Risen
Christ comes to us and says “Peace be with you.” He calls on us not to fear (even
though it may take some of us awhile to grow into obedience to that call) because
he has conquered death, and life is ours forever. Thanks be to God!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Pr. Bill+
THE VOICE
It’s almost time for Pastor Lauren’s Sabbatical!
What is a Sabbatical?
A sabbatical is an extended period of time for study, personal growth and renewal without the demands
of daily parish responsibilities. This is a normal practice and recommended by the ELCA for every 5
years. Our pastors have been with us since 2009. To date, neither has taken a sabbatical.
A sabbatical is normally three months in length and is sometimes split into several blocks of time. It can
involve many types of activities. Vacation time and Continuing Education time are not included but are
incorporated in the planning.
When will she be gone?
Pastor Lauren will spend a pre-sabbatical week of Continuing Education from June 22-29 on a retreat in
Santa Fe NM with Wayne Muller. (You will get to meet Wayne when he is here to preach and lead a
workshop on May 15.) Then she will be “gone” from July 11 until October 10. During some of that time
she will be home, but will be “off the grid” and not available for any church activity, including Sunday
services, weddings and funerals. She will even worship at another church on those Sundays so as not to
get pulled back into church activity. Part of her absence will be for taking their kids on a family trip —
driving to Alaska! Pastor Bill will use his regular vacation time for this trip.
Who will cover for her while she’s gone?
Pastor Bill will cover most of her responsibilities in her absence. When they are both gone, you will be
directed to contact Marge Sellers for pastoral needs.
What will it cost?
All expenses of the sabbatical are covered by a grant from The Lily Foundation National Clergy
Renewal Program. There will be no cost to the congregation.
What happens after the Sabbatical?
Pastor Lauren will submit a report of the sabbatical time and share the learning and experiences with the
congregation. The Mutual Ministry Team and Board will evaluate benefits as a basis for future planning.
The Theme for Pastor Lauren’s Sabbatical is Reclaiming Sabbath in a 24/7 World. We hope that Pastor
Lauren will return to work in October refreshed, renewed, and ready to help us all find a place for
“Sabbath” rest in our frantic lives.
Small Groups Continue
For six weeks during Lent eleven groups met on a weekly basis to grow in faith and friendship. The study called Animate –
Practices helped us to explore various practices such as prayer, worship and service as well as how food and money are
part of our daily Christian life and what we can do to grow and develop in these areas. Group discussion was lively and new and deeper relationships were formed. Several groups would like to
continue meeting using a different Animate study. You are invited to join them. Look for more information on Sunday morning April 3 and in the weekly email that week.
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Welcome to a new feature in The Voice! Each month we will profile two or three ministries to celebrate
the great work that’s being done here at St. John.
Funeral Luncheons have been a part of St. John’s ministry for many decades.
You may not be
aware of this ministry unless you have participated or have attended a funeral for a
loved one at St. John. In the days immediately following a death, the family has many
things to do: decisions to make, people to contact, travel plans…. Providing a meal
following the funeral service offers the bereaved family much more than physical
sustenance, but also spiritual and emotional support. It provides a space and a time to
rest, eat a good meal and catch up with old friends. Serving people in this way and at
this difficult time provides both comfort and a reminder that they are not alone, but are
part of the larger family of Christ.
Back in the day, meals were prepared by the Women of St. John, but this is no longer possible. They
can provide salad, dessert and beverage, but the main course needs to be catered.
If you would like to participate in this ministry, contact Marlou Grudt, Joanne Hagen or Patty Oates and
ask them to put you on the list. When the need arises they will contact you to see if you are available to
help with set-up, clean-up and/or serving. Even if you are not available to help on weekdays, you can
still help! This ministry involves a fair amount of expense, and contributions are always welcome. Make
your check payable to “Women of St. John” with “funeral luncheons” in the memo line.
Russell (66) and his wife Elnora (72) and three kids and one grandchild
live together in a small house in Southfield. Russell is a Vietnam veteran
who served in the Navy from 72’-74’. Russell is a double amputee and is
wheelchair bound. They are on a very fixed income and are doing their
best to keep up. They received help from ROTC over the years but could use some additional help this
year. Russell has been hard on the interior doors since his house is not designed for a wheelchair bound
person. Their house needs a variety of repairs, including replacement of some interior doors, hinges and
casings; repair of some drywall, cleaning of the exterior vinyl siding; cleanup and landscaping in the
front yard; replace kitchen countertops and backsplash. St. John’s team will help them with these tasks
this year. St. John has been repairing homes with Oakland County Rebuilding Together for the past ten
years. Rebuild takes in dozens of house applications and
processes these for feasibility and applicant qualification.
Each year's house is different in scope and presents a
unique challenge. Some of the house projects have been
as extensive whole kitchen demolition/replacement or
refit doorways and build ramps for
handicap accessibility. We have repaired
walkways and porches; repaired wall
damage and painted the whole interior of
a house. Some projects have included
ambitious plumbing or electrical work,
some have had more of a focus on
landscape and cleanup. This year’s Rebuild date is April
30. Contact Bill Halvangis at halvangis@att.net.
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Welcome to a new feature in The Voice! Each month we will profile two or three St. John leaders to help you
get to know them better, starting with staff, Board members and Leadership Team members. This month we
give you an overview of the Board, and will begin profiling individual Board members next month.
The Board
consists of the Pastors plus six Board
members, elected by the congregation for a two-year
term. Each year, three Board positions turn over.
Board members are limited to two
consecutive terms.
Our organization structure is
different
from
the
traditional Church Council
structure. The Board
is responsible for
guiding the overall
direction
of
the
congregation; establishing
vision and mission; and
defining desired ends (but not means). Board members
do not run the ministries. That is the responsibility of
the Leadership Team, which is appointed by the Board.
The Board meets once per month to review, discuss and resolve a variety of issues facing the Congregation.
In the fall they review and approve the annual budget (prepared by the Resources Team) prior to its being
submitted to the Congregation for adoption.
Board minutes are available for review in a binder in the church office, and also are posted on the St. John website
(www.stjohn-elca.org, click “Member Login”, type in the password - 23225Gill - and click “Meeting Minutes.”).
(Personality Parade continues on the next page.)
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Personality Parade (continued)
Stella
Weller,
Director of Community Outreach; “Genuine
Hospitality” Team Leader Stella was born and raised in Hyderabad, India.
She got her business degree and worked for Dell and GE in business
management and training. As a young adult she moved to the US looking for
better employment opportunities. She first settled in Florida where one of her
relatives lived.
One day she was shopping in Macy’s where she was approached by a man who
introduced himself and asked if she would talk with him. She was initially a bit
startled (young ladies in India do not talk to men they don’t know) but they had
a conversation. He went back to Texas (he had been visiting his grandmother
in Florida). When Stella went back to India, he found her online (on the Indian
version of facebook) and the conversation continued. Soon after, she got a job
in Michigan and he followed her.
The young man’s name was (you guessed it!) Craig Weller. They were
married and the rest is history! “I think this was destiny. God planned this for
me,” she says.
Stella and Craig were both raised in the Roman Catholic church. They were
accustomed to Sunday being “church day.” When they first moved to
Michigan, they had no friends or family, no church home, and didn’t at first
have a car, so it was hard to go church shopping. Stella found Sundays very
lonely. Finally she went to Google and looked up all the churches she could
walk to. One of them was St. John.
She still remembers the first time they walked in. “I could feel the warmth. People were so loving and
caring.” She was pregnant at the time, and they felt sad to be so far from all their family at that special time.
The second time they came to St. John, they were met with a huge baby shower! “We got so many gifts, I
didn’t have to buy anything for Isabella in her first year.” She found it overwhelming that people would
show so much love to a stranger. Craig and Stella joined St. John in 2011. Isabella was born that year and
baptized on Christmas Eve.
Stella was hired in 2013 to be St. John’s first Director of Community Outreach. Her primary function is to
reach out to the community on the part of St. John. She especially loves working with older people
(“mostly they just want someone to listen to them”) and being our face to the local Indian community. Her
“Senior Prom” event at Grand Court was a huge hit, and was featured on Fox2 News. Recent Trunk or
Treat and Easter Egg Hunt events have brought lots of families from the neighborhood.
As for how she sees her job: “I love, love what I do. It keeps me going and happy. I don’t try to bring people
to church. I try to relate them to my experience, and give them the love I’ve experienced here.”
Contact Stella at stellawellerstjohn@gmail.com.
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Keeping the Faith
By John Dresden III
Well, by now everybody's 'March Madness' picks are all scrambled. A lot of us bet
that at least one of the teams from Michigan would go a little further than they did.
Both teams got eliminated in the first round.
We put a lot of faith in our sports teams and we feel bad when they lose. We also tell
everybody that "It's a rebuilding year, and next year will be better". That "faith" in our
sport teams is like the faith we should have in God. We have all had bad days when
something did not go as planned, someone we love was hurting, and life in general
was not going our way. We need to take a step back and look at all the good in our
lives and all that God has provided to us, so we can have all this good. We need to
"rebuild, so next year will be better".
Rebuilding our lives when things go wrong is how God wants us to be. Don't sit
around and think doom and gloom. Find out what went wrong, fix it, and move on.
On things out of our control (Ex. the weather. 65 degrees one day and 4 inches of
snow the next), we need to understand that we can live with it and most of the time it
will work itself out. Having the faith that God is always looking over us, is how we
should live our lives.
Take time to do good things, think good thoughts, help others and pray once in
awhile. We all know people that need help. We can take that faith and help them
when they are feeling low and tell them that God is also looking over them and that
"It's a rebuilding year, and next year will be better."
Thanks for your time and Go Michigan! (next year.......)
John
Please join us for a
THANKOFFERING SALAD POTLUCK
Tuesday, May 17 @ 11:30
Come and enjoy a potluck luncheon and get to know some of
your fellow St. John members better. We will also answer any
questions you have about the Thankoffering. Please sign up in
the Narthex.
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April 10– The Theme: Easter
Youth and kids, from 3 years old through 8th grade, and their parents, are invited to join us
for another fun time of faith formation! We meet between services, from 10:15 to 10:55. This
month we will be talking about what Easter is, and what Jesus’s resurrection means for us.
We’ll talk about Jesus’s talk with Peter, about forgiveness and “feeding sheep”!
There will be fun activities, good discussions among families, a “give-away,” and a “takeaway” to keep families engaged in praying, talking, and forming faith together.
(refreshments provided in the MPR for S2 participants.) Families that did the takeaway project of creating a works of mercy tree are invited to bring them in for
display at the next Second Sunday!
Parents: please remember, we count on your participation along with that of your children, so that your entire family can be blessed by S2. Thank you!
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How do We Communicate? Let Us Count the Ways.
One of the things we learned in our recent “Listening” process is that there is a great desire on the part of
St. John members for MORE COMMUNICATION!
Here are all the ways we communicate with you now:
1. Announcements at the beginning of Worship - Back by
popular demand! In order to keep these announcements brief,
you will only hear date, time and whom to contact for each
event. More detail is in all the places below.
2. The Sunday Bulletin – Previously known as the “Green
Sheet”, it’s now part of your Sunday worship bulletin. It has
the prayer list, the upcoming week’s schedule on the back and
lots of inspiration and information inside.
3. The eNews – this email newsletter goes out each week on Friday morning. If you are on the list for
the eNews you will also receive Taking Faith Home on Sundays and occasional reminders or
announcements. If you are not receiving the eNews, send your name and email address to Elaine
Pearson at email@stjohn-elca.org and she will add you to the list. If you have unsubscribed and wish
to resume receiving these emails, contact Elaine and she will tell you how to get back on.
4. The Voice – this monthly newsletter comes to you by snail mail. If you are not receiving The Voice,
contact Marie Cook in the church office (om@stjohn-elca.org or 248-474-0584) and make sure she
has the correct address for you.
5. One-Call phone messages – These are recorded messages sent to your home or mobile phone to
remind you of upcoming activities. They do not happen on a schedule, but are used as-needed. If you
are not receiving these, contact Marie in the church office and make sure she has the correct phone
number for you.
6. Announcement Slides – On Sunday mornings, there are slides running in the sanctuary before the
service and in the coffee area between services with information about upcoming events.
7. www.stjohn-elca.org - The St. John website has lots of information on St. John, including who’s
who and what’s going on. There’s a members only area that you can access by password (23225Gill,
with a capital G) which contains a member directory and minutes of Board meetings. (If you see an
error, or can’t find something you want, contact Elaine Pearson at email@stjohn-elca.org .)
8. Stuff in the Narthex – see all those posters in the narthex? They’re there to invite you to do
something! Before you get your coffee on Sunday, stop by and see what’s going on!
You need to do your part as well! Communication is a two-way street! We keep looking for more
ways to convey information, but you also need to look, read and listen! We are listening too, so if you
have any ideas about how we might better communicate with you, please let Elaine Pearson know at
email@stjohn-elca.org or 248-373-5438. Thank you!
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Listening Phase Report — March 2016
THANK YOU to all who took the online church assessment survey (MAP), participated in focus
groups, interviews, and the visioning workshop. Below is a condensed summary of what we
learned.
The full report can be seen at www.stjohn-elca.org. (pw=23225Gill, go to “Documents”)
Areas of Strength:
1.
2.
3.
People believe St. John is making a difference!
People believe in the mission of St. John!
The majority of the congregation believes that new ideas
are supported.
4. St. John has a healthy outward ministry focus (and an
inward focus).
5. Faith and the desire to support God’s work in the world are
the primary motives for giving at St. John.
6. The overall level of giving has increased at St. John as a
result of the Let it Go, Let it Grow campaign.
7. St. John is much more financially stable than it was in
2012; important ministries now are being appropriately
funded and mortgage principal payments are being made.
8. Many St. John members are generous with their time and resources in the community.
9. The Board is in good order and functioning well.
10. The work that’s been done through Vibrant Faith Ministries has been very positive.
11. Organizing the Leadership Team around the Core Values is brilliant!
Areas for Growth:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Transparency in, and clear communication of, decision-making.
Clarity of congregation’s sense of purpose.
Willingness to fail when implementing change.
Growing in our God-given ability to be generous in all aspects of our lives. Also, the motivation
behind the desire to grow is focused on desire to be financially stable rather than on having an
impact on people’s lives.
5. Only 35% of the congregation participated in Let it Go, Let it Grow vs. the average 50%.
6. There is still room to grow in St. John’s understanding of the biblical principles of stewardship and
generosity.
7. The Carver model of governance is a challenging one to administer in a congregational setting.
There is confusion in the congregation regarding who is in charge of each ministry and how they
relate.
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Listening Phase Report—March 2016 (continued)
Recommendations:
1. Launch a Communications Team to assess communication processes and develop a strategy to
improve.
a. Tell the stories of all the great ministry happening at St. John.
b. Communicate decision-making policies and governance structure regularly.
c. When significant decisions are being made, communicate the process and progress regularly.
d. In all communicating - use the 7/11 rule (messages must be expressed between 7 and 11
times and ways).
2. Continue the visioning work around the congregation’s sense of purpose and future.
3. Champion the value of trying (and sometimes failing) at new ideas.
4. Focus ministry toward having an impact on people lives - inside and outside of the church.
5. Develop a comprehensive Stewardship Ministry Plan that consistently lifts up the joy of generosity,
including implementation of a second capital campaign.
6. All ministries should be identified under one of the Core Values.
7. The point person for each Core Value (Leadership Team) needs to be paid staff.
8. Job descriptions for the Leadership Team should focus on oversight and resourcing of ministries.
9. The organizational structure of the ministries should be communicated to the congregation.
News from the Board
At the March 21, 2016 meeting, the Board created a
Communications Team consisting of the Communications Team
Leader, the Director of Community Outreach, the Office Manager and
others as required. The Communications Team was formed in
response to recommendations that came from our recent Listening
Phase process. Their mission will be to:
1. Increase coordination of various media.
2. Improve forward planning for communications.
3. Increase the congregation’s understanding of how St. John
operates.
4. Increase the congregation’s familiarity with congregation leaders.
5. Increase focus on telling the story of how St. John changes people’s lives.
The Board unanimously selected Elaine Pearson to be the Communications Team Leader. The team is
already on board, and we look forward to seeing some new features in The Voice as a result. We are
open to all ideas that will help us to better communicate with you. To share ideas, please contact Elaine
at 248 373-5438 or ecp2000@comcast.net. We look forward to your input. Thanks!
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by Dennis Mahle
WISDOM & EMPATHY
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Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research
paper I'm working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her
to define success in her own words, she said, "Success is when
you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.
 Today, I asked my mentor - a very successful business man in
his 70s - what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said,
"Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do
something no one else is doing.
Today, after my 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and
gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn't recognize her. She let go with tears of joy
in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said , "On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World
Trade Center.
Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and
crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.
Today at 7AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3PM
I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat
too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job.
I start tomorrow.
Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother's hospital bed, my
mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, "I feel so loved right
now. We should have gotten together like this more often."
Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5
seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little
boy.
Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-yearold daughter's antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start
celebrating it again.
Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and
offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my
class and as he was leaving he said, "I hope you feel better soon."
I was feeling down because the results of a biopsy came back malignant. When I got home,
I opened an e-mail that said, "Thinking of you today. If you need me, I'm a phone call away."
It was from a high school friend I hadn't seen in 10 years.
Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn't eaten
anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him
the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, "We can share it."
This came to me from a relative in Minnesota who received it with many, many email addresses.
Cya in the pew
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Bingo Party!
Thursday, April 21st
11:00 AM
Come and play! A light meal will be service.
RSVP to 248-474-0584 or sign up in the narthex!
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New at the Charles Fox Library
The Story of a Soul: the Autobiography of Ste. Therese of Lisieux is the
personal story of a Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis in 1897 at the age of 24.
Given to the Library by member Catherine Federspill, this unique work features Ste.
Therese’s own essays, poems and letters written over a period of years to various
people as compiled by her sister Pauline in 1898. Ste. Therese, “The Little Flower of
Jesus,” was compelled to enter religious life at age nine, and formally became a nun
at 15. Following the posthumous publication of this book and other works, she was
among the most prominent Catholics of the twentieth century.
God Honors Bold Prayers and Bold Prayers Honor God
Pastor Mark Batterson’s, The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears (Zondervan, 2011) is an exploration of the true legend of Honi, a first-century Hebrew sage whose powerful prayer ended a drought
and saved a generation. A gift from Shirlee Korte, this book illustrates how to pray in
an entirely new way by creating circles around your family, your problems, your
dreams and and fears, and ultimately around God’s promises.
St. John members have supported and participat-
ed in the Farmington Area CROP Hunger Walk
since 1986. This Walk raises funds for Church
World Service and 5 local food pantries – Baldwin
Center, Neighborhood House, Salvation Army,
Servant Church of St. Alexander, and Yad Ezra.
CWS is an inter-denominational/international relief organization. In the last 5 years we have
raised $20,233 with the number of walkers ranging from 9 to 43. We have provided a rest
stop all these years and donated towards the cost of the t-shirts that are given to the Walkers. This year’s Walk is scheduled for May 1st. Come Walk with us because THEY walk.
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Saturday, April 30
9:30 am – 12:00 noon
In recent months, more than a few new friends have begun worshipping regularly with us. If you are among them, we would like to invite you to attend this
New Members Class, where you will have an opportunity to find out more
about St. John and the Lutheran tradition. You will have an opportunity to
meet other new faces, as well as some who have been around longer, to ask
questions, share experiences of your faith journey that has brought you to St.
John, and eat bagels and drink coffee. Children are welcome too.
New members will be received on Sunday, May 8, at the 11:00 am service.
However, you are invited and encouraged to attend the New Members Class,
even if you do not wish to commit to membership at this time.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Two performances: Sunday Brunch at 10:15 a.m. at
the Grosse Pointe War Memorial; and the Afternoon
Concert at St. John Lutheran Church at 4:30 p.m.
Internationally acclaimed violinist and conductor Andres Cardenes returns to Detroit, this time in a chamber music reunion with pianist Pauline
Martin. Featured are recently recorded gems by his colleagues, André Previn and Alan Fletcher, with sonatas by Schubert and Franck.
website link:
http://www.chambersoloistsdetroit.org/upcoming-events/violinist-andres-cardenes-andpauline-martin-in-recital/
Free tickets are available for St John church members - please call CSD to reserve tickets at
(586) 944-5353.
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WHO DOES IT TAKE TO PUT ON A FUNERAL LUNCHEON?
It takes people who are willing to:
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Plan the seating arrangement
Bring tables and chairs from all over the church and set them up
Plan the meal
Shop for the meal
Prepare food at church
Donate food
Donate money for the purchase of food
Set the tables with tablecloths, napkins, knifes, forks and spoons
Buy and arrange flowers in vases and put on the tables
Make cold drinks and coffee and put on the beverage tables
Arrange food on serving plates and place on tables
Direct people to serving tables and dining tables
Replenish food and beverages as needed
Worry that you won’t have enough food to feed everyone
Clear dining tables and serving tables
Remove table clothes and take them home to launder
Wash dishes and put them away
Package up left over food
Clean kitchen and put away anything used in serving the luncheon
Vacuum all areas used
Empty all wastebaskets and take bags to the dumpster
Service all bathrooms both before and after the event
Take down tables, fold up chairs and return them to where they were originally
On March 9, the Women of St. John served approximately 100 people at
a luncheon following the funeral of Pastor Charles Fox. We thank all the
many men and women who so willingly helped with the tasks listed
above. Special thanks go out to the Set-Up Crew who came at 8 pm on
Tuesday night and put up 22 tables, 168 chairs, and put on all the tablecloths, napkins and silverware. Thank you also to JoAnn Adams for
the beautiful flower arrangements and to Elaine Pearson for taking home all the tablecloths to launder. Pastor Fox was loved and respected by so many of us, and we were
pleased to do this one last thing for him.
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4/8
Brenda Shelton
4/18 Brad Craig
4/9
Troy Nelson
4/19 Gary Eskelinen
4/10 Emily Moilanen
Matthew Christopherson
4/10 Richelle Schultz
4/11 Marguerite Schoen
Kristen Black
Lori Savanyu
4/1
Doni Cavicchioli
4/2
Michael James
Jean Boujoulian
4/3
Ruth Ann Atkinson
4/6
Abby Budgery
4/7
Bill Davis
4/8
Chris Starr
Tucker Penning
4/22 Ryan Savanyu
Stephen Pien
Madeline Schultz
4/24 Carleen Vaupel
4/12 Howard Skovlund
Crystal Taylor
4/13 Noreen Rudorffer
Dianne Brundage
4/15 Michael Attard
Cheryl Craig
Nicole Berling
4/21 Doralyn Penning
Callie Pien
4/25 Patty Oates
4/26 Sonja Stenson
4/16 Melanie Rowe
Gary Monico
Alan Trimner
4/27 Eugene Kohli
Nicole Gordon
Shirlee Korte
Chris Janik
Tuyet Nguyen
4/18 Betty Kohli
4/29 Makaela Sailus
If you have a birthday in this month and your name was omitted please check with the church office to make
sure that your information is correct and up to date in the records. Happy Birthday.
Hello, Pastor Lauren,
We would like to thank the congregation for our dad's memorial service. If you
could put this note in the Voice and the Sunday bulletin, we would very much
appreciate it. Also, we would like to get together with the appropriate people to
discuss the Memorial Gift that my dad wanted to give to St. John. Thank you for
sending us the policy regarding gift giving. We have read it over and discussed it
with our financial people. Let us know when we can meet. Thank you, Bethany
From Barbara Fox and her family to St. John Congregation:
Thank you for preparing such a wonderful celebration to honor the life of our beloved husband and
father, Charles Fox. St. John was such an important part of his life and ours. We wish to express
our sincere gratitude to all of you who have supported us during this time and throughout the years.
17
THE VOICE
Prayer Concerns
Members:
Bev Riegal; Mary Bosanko; Carol Sterling, Prudence Hogrefe; Selma Ballach; Sandra
Borsvold; Brent Canup, Shirley Dabich; Martha
Erickson; Eunice Gould; Jim Grudt; Jordis Johnsen; Tammy Kilpatrick; Evelyn Kivi; Beverly
Kirsh; Dagmar Malstrom; Milda Mattila; Lillian
Niemi; Jodi Oulette; Dori Penning; Noreen Rudorffer; Gladys Saari; Joan Simonson; Dorothy
Speer; John Stenson; Lucie Stricker; Marion
Suckow; Howard Skovlund; Diana Ternes; Betty Waber; Jessica Ward;
Elve Wiggins; and Ellen Zatolokin.
Friends, and Family: Paul Gateman (Pastor Zion Ferndale); Richard
Kahlenbeck (Allen); Bud Pearson (Pearson), Paul Smith (Varns) Katie
Carvenale (Shelton); Tom Healey (Blaker): Ken Laatsch, (Blazaitis); Taylor Janssen (Craig); Jody Curtiss (Diener); Dara Sperstad, (Grudt); Dennis Hagen, Ruth Weber, (Hagen); Genie Mayes (Hill): Kathy Best
(Johnsen): Lauren Burt, (Johnston);
Heather Kilpatrick, Lexi Meyer
(Kilpatrick): [Carole Doll, (Kirsh-Carr)]: Don Korte, The Korte/Luther
Families; (Korte); Dick Smith, (Locke); Julia Heath (McDowell): Judy Miller (Oates): Betty Rinehart (Rinehart); Kathy Alferink , (Sailus); Susie
Smith (Sellers); [Mike Gibbs, Amanda Shelton, (Shelton); Fred Efros,
(Varns); Anita Zimmerman, Brandon Wellbaum.
Adam Craig; (The Craig Family); Ben Klimczak
(Brundage); Cody Hedger, (The Hedger/Korr
Familu); Matt Ferris (Hogrefe); Jim Peaugh ~USN
Chaplin; Jacob Stanton (Stanton); Staff Sgt. Michael J. Kalabsa (Kilpatrick); Seaman Paul Ludlam
(Kilpatrick); Jacob Smith (Kelly); McCoy Sloan,
(Kirsh-Carr), Brandon Blake (Kirsh-Carr), Evan
Whitbeck, Todd Truan (Bosanko).
Please send prayer list updates to the church office at om@stjohn-elca.org.
Please take a close look at the list, and inform the Church Office if there are any changes.
Many Thanks to Pat Gransee and Marlou Grudt for sending out cards to the people on our prayer
concerns list. If you have someone on the list to whom you would like a card sent, contact the office.
Thank you!
18
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
1
9:45 am Bible Academy
3
9:00 am Worship
11:00 am Worship
12:00 Post Baptism Celebration
1:30 pm Kaleva
4:00 pm AA
4
10:00 am Quilters
5
8:00 am BSF
4:00 pm Dancin with Delia
12:00 pm Staff Meeting
6:00 pm Soccer
6
7
8:00 am BSF
9:45 AM Bible Academy
8
5:20 pm Soccer
6:30pm Handbells rehearsal
7:00 pm Men’s Basketball
8:00 pm Chancel Choir
9
5:30 pm Worship
6:00 pm Soccer
7:00 pm Men’s Basketball
6:00 pm Soccer
8:00 am Men’s Breakfast
2
5:30 pm Worship
7:00 Confirmation
10
9:00 am Worship
10:10 Sunday School
Second Sunday S2
11:00 am Worship
2:00 pm White Pine
4:00 pm AA
9:00 am Worship
10:10 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
4:00 pm AA
11
10:00 am Quilters
12:00 pm Staff Meeting
5:20 pm Soccer
7:00 pm Men’s Basketball
17
10:00 am Quilters
12
8:00 am BSF
8:00 am RHG
1:00 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry
6:00 pm Soccer
4:00 pm Dancin with Delia
6:30 pm Chancel Choir
6:00 pm Soccer
7:00 pm Men’s Basketball
13 8:00 am Men’s Breakfast
14
8:00 am BSF
11:30 am Detroit Flower Arrg.
6:00 pm Soccer
18
19
8:00 am BSF
12:00 pm Staff Meeting
8:00 am RHG
6:00 pm Soccer
6:00 pm Soccer
5:20 pm Soccer
10:00 am Quilters
12:00 pm Staff Meeting
5:20 pm Soccer
7:00 pm Men’s Basketball
16
5:30pm Worship
10:00 am pm Birthday Party
6:30pm Handbells rehearsal
6:00 pm Birthday Party
7:00 Confirmation
7:00 pm Men’s Basketball
20
21
8:00 am Men’s Breakfast
8:00 am BSF
11:00 am BINGO
11:30 am Detroit Flower Arrangers
6:00 pm Soccer
6:30pm Handbells rehearsal
8:00 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal
24
15
6:30 pm TNT
7:00 pm Men’s Basketball
9:00 am Worship
10:10 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
2:00 pm White Pine
4:00 pm AA
5:00 pm Birthday Party
9:45 AM Bible Academy
25
8:00 am BSF
26
27 8:00 am Men’s Breakfast
10:00 am Farmington Musicale
Board
1:00 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry
8:00 am BSF
6:30 pm Chancel choir
6:30pm Handbells rehearsal
6:00 pm Soccer
7:00 Confirmation
28
9:45 am Bible Academy
22
Saturday
23
5:30 pm Worship
6:00 pm Birthday Party
630 pm Passover Seder
**VOICE ARTICLES DUE!
29
30
9:30 am New Members
Class
St. John Lutheran Church
23225 Gill Rd.
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Non-Profit Org.
U.S.POSTAGE
PAID
Farmington Hills, MI
Permit No. 220
In This Issue:
 Alleluia! Christ is
Risen
 Listening Phase
Report
 Getting to know:
 The Board
 Stella Weller
 Ministry Spotlight
 Funeral Luncheons
 Oakland Rebuild
 News from the Board
 It’s CROP Walk time!
 Listening Report
 New member class
And / or Current resident
This issue was mailed on March 31, 2016
St. John Lutheran Church
23225 Gill Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48335
248-474-0584
email: om@stjohn-elca.org
~
www.stjohn-elca.org
Pastors Lauren and Bill Kirsh-Carr
STAFF
Troy Nelson ~ Director of Music and Worship
BOARD MEMBERS
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Marie Cook ~ Office Manager
David Androvich
Resource ~ Ed Kramer
Larry Urevig ~ Resource Coordinator
Jackie Craig
Education ~ Lynn Lasley
Stella Weller ~ Dir. of Community Outreach
Beverly Gerhard
Community ~
Christian Matjias-Mecca ~ Organist/Pianist
Craig Henriksen
Worship ~ Troy Nelson
JoAnn Adams ~ Handbell Choir
Michael Kennedy
Outreach ~ Stella Weller
Marge Sellers ~ Ministry Associate
Diane Rinehart
Service ~ Bill Halvangis
Communications ~ Elaine Pearson
Ashleigh Altemann ~ Dir. of Youth and
Family Ministry
The Staff at St. John is here to serve you. If you have questions or concerns,
please give us a call; we will be happy to talk to you.
20