Please help support the ministries of St. John’s by purchasing a yard sign! These durable and colorful signs will be available toward the end of March and through mid-April before and after Sunday church service. They are $25 each. For additional information or to purchase a sign, please contact Stewardship
Committee co-chairs.
Rhonda Stutzke – (815) 441-3264
Aislinn O’Connell – a.shae.oconnell@gmail.com
The congregations of St. Paul, St. John’s & Immanuel (Tri Church) welcome everyone to worship this Lent and Holy Week! Throughout Lent, we will be Turning Toward God’s Abundance as we explore God’s Faithfulness, Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness, and Love!
During the remaining Wednesdays in Lent (April 2 & 9), Tri Church welcomes you to enjoy a soup, sandwich, and salad lunch at 11:15 am followed by worship at 12:15 pm at St. John’s. After the service, anyone who missed lunch can pick up a to-go meal. St. John’s is located at 703 Third Avenue in Sterling.
Tri Church midweek evening options include Simple Suppers at 5 pm with worship at 6:00 pm on Wednesdays at Immanuel. Immanuel is located at 501 8th Avenue in Rock Falls. All are welcome!
Tri Church Holy Week Worship Opportunities—All are welcome!
St. Paul: Good Friday, 4/19. Gather for a potluck in the fellowship hall at 5:30 pm as we recognize the last supper of Jesus with His disciples. Following our meal together, we will move to the sanctuary for a Good Friday Tenebrae service (beginning at about 6:15 pm). Gabby Law will have an activity for the children during this part of the evening.
St. John’s: Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (Stations of the Cross) services at 6:00 pm. Also, join us on Easter Sunday at 9:30 am.
Immanuel: Maundy Thursday Worship is at 12:15 & 6:00 pm; Good Friday Worship is at 12:15 & 6:00 pm.
Join us for faith, fellowship, and book study on March 27 and April 10 at 6:30 pm in the church library. We will be discussing Receiving Jesus by Mariann Budde. On April 10 we will also be deciding on the next book for discussion starting May 8. Please speak with Pastor Jacob to learn more.
On Saturday, May 17, St. John’s will be a location again for the community wide garage sale. Item collection for the Community Garage Sale is happening now! A registration for the event will be filed with the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event and provides maps showing participating locations. Items donated will temporarily be stored and organized in the Luther Chapel. Tables will be set up in the main parking lot for times during the sale. Those wishing to help participate in the fundraiser by donating items for sale please remember that items may be new or gently used.
Please do not donate any of the following:
Hunger has been a persistent challenge in our world. As Christians, we are called upon to follow the example and teachings of Jesus to help people in need. Beginning in 1974 the Lutheran Church in America has given special attention to reducing hunger for fifty years. While the money donated by a single congregation such as St. John’s may be small, when combined with the gifts received at congregations across the country, between $20 and 24 million is raised each year, resulting in many great projects. The ELCA is using this 50th anniversary year to increase explanations to congregations how the contributions have been used and to seek increased giving to its Hunger Appeal.
Dr. Norm Moline, Professor Emeritus of Geography at Augustana College and member of our synod’s world hunger committee, will be at our church on April 6 for an adult education program. He will review how our dollars are used for some “good news” projects. He will stress that if we move beyond the big numbers of starving people and focus on individuals who can be helped, we can realize how life-giving our gifts can be. AND he will thank this congregation for its regular participation in this hunger appeal.
The Special Offerings for the month of April have been designated by the Congregation Council to be donated to the Twin Cities Homeless Shelter, formerly the Twin Cities PADS Homeless Shelter. The shelter serves 20-25 guests per night for emergency shelter and as an entry point into other outreach programs. They currently have limited space and funding and are struggling to support those who rely on their services to survive. Please consider a generous donation to support this ministry. Their mission is to help people and be a light to those lost in the darkness. Help them keep the lights on.
Lilies are wanted to decorate the chancel for Easter. You can order on the group order or purchase your own. If you purchase your own lily and plan on picking it up, bring it to the church no earlier than April 16 and please place a tag on it with your name. Plants can be picked up after the Easter morning service, Sunday, April 20. Note: Payment should accompany the form. Make checks payable to St. John’s Lutheran Church. Deadline to turn in this form is Friday, April 11. Click here to download a lily order form.
The Social Ministry Committee will begin collecting personal care kits on March 2. Once again, we will donate the kits to the First United Methodist Church in Sterling for distribution at their Food Bank and in conjunction with their Free Breakfast Program. The folks at First Methodist appreciate our desire to minister with them by supplying these kits!
Donations for this purpose are welcome if you prefer that the committee shop and assemble on your behalf. Please include these items in each of the kits:
*Toothbrush multi-packs may be used by sealing each toothbrush in a business-size envelope
Assembly instructions: Fold the towel in half. Place the remaining items in the towel, fold and roll so nothing falls out, and secure them with yarn, ribbon, string, or rubber bands.
Unwanted messages are becoming increasingly common methods for scams and fraud. Often these messages may look like they are from someone you know but are really a scam looking for personal information. If you get an unwanted text message, there are three ways to report it:
The Lenten Self-Denial Offerings have been designated by the Congregation Council to be donated to the Sterling Buddy Bag Program. The need for this community food program becomes more pronounced each month. Food insecurities in our community are related to housing insecurities, and both affect our school-age children. The food is simple, nutritious and something children can prepare without too much effort. The program is sponsored by community churches, public schools, and the Coalition for Community Services (ICCS). Most of us have plenty of food on our tables, but that is not the case for many families. Please consider a generous donation to support this ministry and the growing need for families in our community.
