News

Church construction updates

The constitution of our congregation has been updated to bring it into compliance with the 2025 Model Constitution for Congregations of the ELCA. The Council has also approved a handful of additional proposed changes. These include:

• wording of the timing of the annual meeting to allow for a
• postponement due to weather or the lack of a quorum
• term limits of the officers
• the number of Council members
• minor changes to committee descriptions, along with the elimination of two committees.

The document will be available for review before September 11th; a copy may also be obtained from the church office. Please review the proposed changes. We will vote to approve the updates at a special meeting of the congregation on October 11th, and ratify the updates at the annual meeting on October 25th.

Beating Bad Breath

Halitosis — the dreaded bad breath — can be a symptom of minor or sometimes serious health concerns. The most common cause is odor-producing bacteria trapped on the uneven surface of the tongue or on the teeth or dentures. Other sources include tooth decay, faulty fillings and gum disease, which can create pockets for bacteria to gather. Conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and diabetes also can contribute to breath odor.

To discourage bad breath:

• Floss daily — Brushing after you eat and flossing at least once a day serve to remove decaying material from between your teeth and prevent gum disease. Similarly for denture wearers, daily cleaning ensures the removal of food particles that harbor bacteria.
• Brush your tongue — Use your toothbrush or a tongue scraper to remove bacteria from your tongue, particularly in the back.
• Drink water — Since saliva has antiseptic properties, keeping your mouth moist is beneficial.
• Chew gum — Another way to stimulate saliva production is to chew gum occasionally, preferably sugarless varieties. Gum also can help mask any odors.
• Avoid common culprits — Odors from certain foods or substances tend to linger in the mouth. These include onions, garlic, coffee, alcohol and tobacco. Even eating a lot of sugary foods is linked to developing bad breath.
• Schedule dental checkups twice a year — Your dental team can check for potential issues and provide a good cleaning at the same time.

If the issue persists, consult your dentist or primary healthcare
team to determine if underlying health conditions are at play.

From the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Submitted by Nancy Rasmussen, Parish Nurse

September Children’s Noisy Offerings

Lutheran Disaster Response

September Special Offerings

August Children’s Noisy Offerings

Faith Now

August Special Offerings

Sterling Buddy Bags

Taking An Iron Supplement

Taking iron supplements daily can be recommended for preventing iron deficiency anemia, but it’s best to consult a doctor for the correct dosage and duration, as this varies by age, gender, and health status. While daily intake may be necessary for some, others may experience side effects like constipation, nausea, and an upset stomach, which can sometimes be managed by adjusting the dosing schedule, for instance, to every other day.

WHY YOU MIGHT NEED AN IRON SUPPLEMENT

• Oxygen transport: Iron is crucial for your body to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.
• Preventing anemia: If your body doesn’t have enough iron, it can lead to iron deficiency anemia, a condition with symptoms like fatigue and weakness.
• Public health recommendations: Daily iron supplementation is a standard recommendation for menstruating women and adolescent girls in areas with high rates of anemia.

POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS
Constipation, nausea, stomach upset, metallic taste in your mouth, and dark stools.

TIPS FOR TAKING IRON SUPPLEMENTS
Consult a professional: Always talk to a healthcare provider to determine the right dosage and whether you need a supplement at all.

• Consider alternate days: For some individuals, taking iron every other day can improve absorption and reduce side effects, but this should be discussed with your doctor.
• Take with food: Taking the supplement with food may help with some side effects like a metallic taste.
• Follow directions: Take the supplement as directed by your doctor, as it can take one to four weeks to notice positive effects.

From the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Submitted by Nancy Rasmussen, Parish Nurse

School Kits

The Social Ministry Committee will be collecting items for school kits through September 20. We had a great response last year and have asked St. Paul and Immanuel to partner with us again this year for assembly. Our time together was an awesome time of fellowship and stewardship. Some of the kits will be shared again with the Regional Office of Education (ROE) in our community. Bins will be available to receive donations in the entry area outside the east sanctuary doors and the narthex. Monetary donations will be accepted if you prefer that we do the shopping for you. Please include these items for each kit:

• Four 70-sheet notebooks of wide or college-ruled paper
• One ruler with centimeters on one side and inches on the other
• One pencil sharpener
• One pair of blunt scissors
• Five unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers, secure with a rubber band
• Five black or blue ballpoint pens (no gel ink), secure with a rubber band
• One box of 16 or 24 crayons
• One 2½ inch eraser

Onken Family Donates Baptismal Gown Worn by 85 Family Members

Dear St. Johns Lutheran Church,

The extended family of Harry Onken would like to present his encased 128-year-old baptismal gown and its historical ledger to St. John’s Lutheran Church in his memory. Our beloved grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather was baptized into the Lutheran faith in 1888. He was baptized in Germany wearing this very gown.For the next 101 years it was worn by 85 family members baptized into the Lutheran faith, with the majority of us at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sterling, Illinois, the last one being his great-great-grandson in 1989. After that time, we decided to document all the family members’ baptisms and frame the gown for preservation.

Our family is honored that the baptismal gown will be displayed at St. John’s Lutheran Church. “We pray that those who view it will remember God’s baptismal promise of three major gifts: forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the evil, and eternal salvation, (Luther’s Small Catechism) and our promises given during the baptism to support and pray for one another in their lives through Christ, (Affirmation of Baptism/Affirmation by the Assembly).”

In Christ Name We Pray,
The Family of Harry Onken

Tuesday Morning Text Study Group

Each week on Tuesday mornings an ecumenical group of clergy and lay folks meet at 9:30 am in Luther Chapel to read, discuss, and study the upcoming Sunday’s Lectionary readings. Those who are curious about the upcoming readings are always welcome to attend. Likewise, those who are interested in being a reader for an upcoming Sunday may enjoy hearing about the background of the reading that they will be sharing on Sunday morning.