News

The Cross

The accepted symbol of Christianity is the cross. Worldwide, it is the singular reminder of what Jesus did for us. He died on a cross; it was the price He paid for our redemption. The cross is visibly displayed throughout if one walks through our church building. It might be impossible to count all of them. One such cross hangs rather inconspicuously between two of the stained-glass windows in the East Room. That cross, while being yet another symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice for us as Christian people, also has a story of its own and symbolizes a significant event in the history of St. John’s.

During the nighttime hours of Thursday, February 2, 1984, hymnals were lit in a pile under the grand piano in the sanctuary. The fire grew to enormous heights and burned through the ceiling of St. John’s. Much of the sanctuary was damaged and the beloved stained-glass window depicting Jesus with the children was blown out of its frame. The glass remnants lay scattered in the alley on the west side of the church.

Lois Cooperrider, wife of the late Reverend Luther Cooperrider, who served as pastor of St. John’s from 1962 until 1973, still lived in their home at the time of the fire. The back yard of the home is adjacent to the alley behind the church. As the story goes, in the early morning hours after the fire had been extinguished, Lois, a small but determined lady, was seen in the alley retrieving pieces of glass from the window that was destroyed. From those pieces, she enlisted the expertise of an unknown person to fashion a cross. It is that cross that hangs in the East Room. It is unclear where the cross was stored for many years, but it was found during the time of the renovation of the East Room in roughly 2012. Not only is it a symbol of sacrifice and redemption on the part of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but it is also a symbol of unity during a time of trial in the life of St. John’s Lutheran Church.

The fire took place just a few days after the installation of the Reverend Charles Steinke. The first sermon preached by Pastor Steinke was to a “standing room only” crowd on Sunday, February 5, 1984, in Room 7 of the Education Wing. That Sunday stands as a reminder of the unity, solidarity, and brotherhood that came from the tragedy of the fire. The cross that hangs in the East Room will remain as a symbol of that time in the history of our community of believers.

Moving Beyond the Page

Join us for faith, fellowship, and book study on July 11 & 25 at 6:30 pm in the church library. We will be discussing In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon. Copies are available upon request from various sources. Please speak with Pastor Jacob to learn more.

Celebrate and Support LOMC!

July Special Offerings

The special offerings for July have been designated by the Congregation Council to be donated to the Northwestern Illinois Center for Independent Living (NICIL). NICIL is a non-profit, non-residential center serving Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside counties. In 1985, NICIL opened its doors with a mission of supporting people with disabilities to live in the community of their choice. Living independently means different things to people. For some, it is the freedom and ability to make choices on how to live their life. For others, it may mean living free from the restraints of institutional care. No matter the definition, the choice to live as one chooses is the basis of the independent living program. The NICIL Team works with consumers on the goals of their choosing. They do not tell consumers what to do. Instead, they talk about options and give support so the consumer can make an informed choice.
Please consider a generous donation to the Special Offerings during July. Many people in our community struggle with their ability to live independently. Your generosity will ensure that this agency will have the ability to continue to support those in need of this assistance.

School Kit Collection

The Social Ministry Committee will begin collecting items for school kits beginning June 16th. The collection period will conclude September 15th. 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. Our goal among the three churches this year is a lofty one—600 kits! Some of the kits will be shared again with the Regional Office of Education (ROC) 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
• One sturdy drawstring back-pack style cloth bag, approximately 14”x17” with shoulder straps

Tennis Shoes & Socks Collections

St. John’s will be collecting children’s tennis shoes and socks during the months of June and July for Another Child Foundation. These items will go to underprivileged children in Romania. There will be a bin outside the sanctuary door to place the donations. Thank you for your support of this ministry! ~Denise Carl

Food Pantry Sunday!

The Congregation Council has once again designated the first Sunday of each month as Food Pantry Sunday. A receptacle will be available for donations. We stopped focusing on this during the pandemic and have not resurrected the practice of intentionally making donations. Considering the increasing need in our community we would like to increase our community involvement once again. All non-perishable food items are acceptable and welcome.

A Message from PADS Homeless Shelter

Dear Friends of Pads,

It seems like just yesterday my time began here at the PADS shelter, 12 years ago I started, and we have come a long way and helped hundreds of people. I wish I could say that this is my accomplishment, but it’s not just my accomplishment but all of you as well! I have noticed that among our churches, businesses, and individuals around 300 people regularly support the shelter.

Normally we reach out only during the holidays, which is a very important time for us because a quarter of our funding comes in at that time. This last year in the aftermath of COVID-19 we have seen a huge change and in our last 3 months of the shelter year to go we have already seen more people than any year prior. The shelter used to shut down in the summer because we didn’t have the demand to stay open. This last month we have averaged 15 people a night which is more than any night during the entire winter season.

Because of the changes in demand the shelter has made some changes with the addition of a full time Client Advocate to help with our residents. We still need help with COVID-19 not the issue it once was. We hope all our church will consider coming back to help at the shelter. We no longer need help for the whole night, just help with 6-11 shift and nightly meals. The increase in homelessness has also put a strain on our resources such as paper towels, toiler paper, laundry detergent, tea, sugar, personal items, and funds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated to help with the growing number of homeless individuals in our area. You can donate items directly to the shelter, send a donation in the mail, or donate online at twincitiespads.org/donate-to-homeless-shelter.html To sign up to help, you can call the shelter, or go to signup.com/go/hxKPAqq. The shelter continues to be humbled and grateful for all your support.

Sincerely, Myles Newberry | Administrative Director

Policy Updates

At the recommendation of the Personnel Committee, the Congregation Council has approved updates to five policies over the course of several months. Most of the updates were necessary due to the elimination of the treasurer’s position in our congregation. This also completes the required biennial review of the complete St. John’s Policy Manual. The updated policies included: Disbursements of Funds; Investment Policy; Memorials, Bequests, Thrivent Choice Dollars, and Non-Monetary Gifts; Offering Counting Procedure; and Organizational Accounts.

A complete policy manual, in the form of a three-ring binder, can be found in the East Room and the Library. A copy may also be obtained from the Office Manager. Please familiarize yourself with these updates. Questions may be directed to any member of the Personnel Committee or Congregation Council.

Building Community…Piece by Piece

St. John’s is participating in an opportunity for community building and fellowship! Stop by Monday through Friday during normal church office hours or on Sundays before or after worship and help complete the puzzle in the church library. When we work together, all the pieces come together.