Join with others for a half hour worship on Wednesday evenings for Holden Evening Prayer.

December 18 at 7:00pm

After the festive Christmas Program on Sunday, December 15, St. John’s will gather in the Fellowship to create ornaments and enjoy a hot cocoa bar. All our welcome to choose a design and personalize it for their tree. We may not be able to share the tree-decorating occasions in our homes, but we can share in the joy of creating an ornament to celebrate Christ.

When Jesus was born there was joy on earth and in heaven. “Heaven and Nature Sing” captures this epic moment with a mix of worshipful storytelling, Bible readings, dramatic flair, and a whole lot of singing! Join us as we spread the joy and hope this miraculous birth brings.

The Holidays are not always joy-filled. Sometimes they are filled with grief and sadness. Mark your calendars for our upcoming Blue Christmas service on December 14th at 5pm, where God will meet us right where we are.

Join with others for a half hour worship on Wednesday evenings for Holden Evening Prayer.

December 11, & 18 at 7:00pm

Join with others for a half hour worship on Wednesday evenings for Holden Evening Prayer.

December 4, 11, & 18 at 7:00pm

AWARE in Evansville is again coordination the annual, “Toys for Evansville” campaign. Toys for Evansville is truly a community-wide event. IN 2023, the Toys for Evansville campaign served over 60 families, including more that 160 kids. Share in the joy of Christmas by selecting an ornament from the tree in the Gathering Area and purchase the item or girt card requested, spending about $30. In addition to specific donations of the requests on ornaments around town, Lake Ridge Bank is accepting donations of hats and mittens. Return the items, with the ornament attached, to St. John’s by Sunday, December 1st. Please call or text Amy Floan at 608-295-9837 if you have any question!

On Monday, November 25, you are invited for an ecumenical supper, worship, and pie fellowship at Creekside Place, hosted by St. John’s and our church partners in Evansville. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, this is an opportunity for our community to Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service gather and share our gratitude to God and to each other. Supper will be served at 6pm with Jenny Wiedel in the kitchen. RSVP for the meal to the church office or Creekside by Wednesday, November 20. The menu will be Turkey Tetrazzini, Gluten-free, Vegetarian Option: Butternut Squash Lasagna, Glazed Carrots, Autumn Slaw, and Pie for dessert for suggested donation of $10. The evening will continue with worship at 6:45pm right there at Creekside (no RSVP necessary). Following worship will be a delicious homemade pie fellowship at 7:30pm (If you ‘re willing to bake, contact the church office). The whole community is invited. This will be our second ecumenical event held at Creekside; we gathered las spring for a meal and Good Friday service as a community. Let’s end the year thanking God together.

There are many different ways to Reach Out and assist with the Holiday Bazaar. We are calling all faithful bazaar servants – new, experienced, old & young alike to mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23rd to experience a day of craft fair/ dining/silent auction/cookie buffet/canning/resale shopping and helping others. St. John’s hosts the event to raise funds for a variety of projects and we need your help to make it successful. Please keep this Reaching Out event in your prayers and offer what services you can to this worthy cause.

Invite your family and friends to this year’s joyful event. Saturday, November 23, from 9am to 2pm, St. John’s will be ready for guests and shoppers. Turkey dinner is available for dine-in or carry-out from 11am to 12:30pm; cost is $13 for adults and $7 for kids 10 & under. Volunteer sign-up sheets are available now for you to add your name for giving your time or donating food and items to the meal or shops. Other items needed can be found on the Giving Tree in the Gathering Area. You can check out our Amazon Wish List or our Kids' Shop Wish List.

Any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact:

Kate Cheramy, k8cheramy@yahoo.com

Allison Hilliard, allisonvrieze77@gmail.com

Maureen Anderson, maureenanderson2525@gmail.com

Our Evansville Ecumenical Care Closet provides Thanksgiving baskets each year to 75+ client-friends. St. John’s is supplying ingredients “4” the dessert again this year. Our goal is 100 of the following 4 ingredients: 15 oz can pumpkin puree, 12 oz evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice (2oz), and yellow cake mix.

Bring any or all of these 4 ingredients to the church building by Sunday, November 17. In case you’re curious, here’s the recipe to go with the ingredients:

Great Pumpkin Dessert:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and spice. Mix well and pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top, then drizzle with melted butter. Top with walnuts. Bake 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center come out clean.

In worship we hear God’s Word preached, we partake in the sacrament of Holy Communion, and occasionally we participate with others in the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Have you ever wondered about our Lutheran theological heritage and how it relates to Word and Sacrament? Come join Vicar Christopher and others on Sunday, November 10 and 17 at 10:15am for a fun and educational discussion on these topics paired with a travelogue from a recent trip to Germany. This will be a good introduction to Lutheran theological perspectives and will also be worthwhile for life-long Lutherans who wish to build upon their knowledge.

Learning About Lefse!

Are you experiences in the art of lefse-making or maybe your skills are currently limited to eating this delicious bread? Whichever applies, we are looking to hold a lefse making session in preparation for Bazaar sales. This class is for those interested in teaching others their craft for those eager to offer their helping hands, and anyone in between! We will also need griddles, turning sticks, rolling pins and of course, recipes. Please contact Kate Cheramy (k8cheramy@yahoo.com), Allison Hilliard (allisonvrieze77@gmail.com), or Maureen Anderson (maureenanderson2525@gmail.com) if interested. Join us here on Saturday, Nov 9 at 9:30am.

In this life, God calls us to our vocations—professional, familial, civic, etc.—and we all have a story to tell. Come join Vicar Christopher to hear about his call to pastoral ministry during adult BASIC on Sunday, November 3 at 10:15am.

There are lots of exciting things happening in high school ministry at St. John’s! Weekly, 9th-12th graders gather for worship and fellowship on Wednesdays, 7:30pm. Then there are two retreats—Fall @ Lutherdale, Spring @ The Dells. And finally, the unforgettable summer trip. All these ministries are supported by the church budget and fundraising events like the Reformation Brunch, Sunday, October 27. Come celebrate the reforms of Martin Luther and eat breakfast in support of St. John’s high school ministries.

The Greek word AGAPE [ah-gah-pay] means communal love, and that will be

the foundation of this new community. You are invited, along with your

friends, to join Vicar Christopher and other young adults in the lounge at the

church building on Saturday, October 26, at 6:30pm. We will feast on a

gourmet sandwich bar, desserts, and drinks. We’ll also read some Scripture

and pray together, as we seek to encourage one another and build each

other up in community. Please RSVP by September 16th to vicar@stjohns-

lc.org or by phone/text (608) 469-3664

If you were born in 1939 or before,

St. John’s is hosting a special

afternoon of worship and fellowship.

On Thurdsay, October 17 at 11am,

the Sanctuary will be filled with the

grandpas and grandmas of our faith.

We will sing all the classic hymns and

receive Holy Communion together.

Then we will make our way to

Fellowship Hall for a nostalgic

luncheon and a time of community.

Do you need help with

transportation? Or do you need

assistance getting into and around

the building? Have no fear! St. John’s

will have someone ready to pick you

up and/or walk alongside you for the

afternoon. St. John’s is blessed to be

a community of multiple generations.

The Church is better together.

Each year thousands of people fall victim to scams and fraud schemes. The effects are far reaching and can be devastating. We may know someone who has been affected by these, including ourselves. Join us Sunday, October 13 at 10:15 to hear from a detective discuss scams, how they are perpetrated, and ways to protect ourselves.

The Ecumenical Christmas Choir begins rehearsals

Wednesday, October 9, 7:15-8:45pm, at St. Paul

Catholic Church. Cindy Zblewski directs this

ensemble of local singers from various Christian

churches. Selections for the concert include

several choral arrangements and a cantata,

Seekers of the Light (Lloyd Larson/Mark Hayes).

2024 Ecumenical Christmas Choir

If you sing high or sing low, you are invited to

join this 9-week experience. The concert is set

for Sunday, December 8th, 5pm. What a great

way to prepare for the Christmas season!

Come and join us

St. John’s is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church

in America (ELCA), with approximately 3.3 million

members across the country. But that’s not it. St.

John’s is also part of the Lutheran World Federation,

a network of 77 million Christians in 99 countries

across the globe. But there’s more. We are part of a

global movement of 2.5 billion followers of Jesus

Christ! That is nearly one-third of the Earth’s

population. The movement that Jesus started with a

group of friends has spread around the globe to

every country and more than 3,400 languages! We

are part of something big!

Calling all faithful bazaar servants—new, experienced, old & young alike. Anyone interested in helping out in any area or have amazing ideas to share to make the event spectacular, please come to the planning meeting on Tuesday, October 1, at 7pm. We are in need of Shop Leaders, volunteers, and donations to make this event truly special.