March - April Events

Items of Interest

CANCELLATION  OF  SERVICES: In the event it becomes necessary to cancel Services at any time this winter, we will notify WFMZ in Allentown. They will post this information on their website (wfmz.com) and also notify WLEV 100.7 FM in Bethlehem of the closing. Even when we have Services, we ask that you use your best judgment for your own safety when deciding to venture out in inclement weather.   L E N T E N     S E A S O N     D A T E S: February 17 - Ash Wednesday - Evening Service 7:30 pm - Holy Communion February 21 - First Sunday in Lent March 28 - Palm Sunday April 1 - Maundy Thursday - Evening Service 7:30 pm - Holy Communion April 2 - Good Friday April 3 - Holy Saturday - Easter Vigil - Evening Service 7:30 pm - Holy Communion April 4 - Easter Sunday Services Dawn - 7:00 am, and Festival - 10:15 am   CHURCH ELEVATOR: Recently, we have had problems with the elevator - When exiting the elevator please make sure the door is completely closed & latched. If the doors on all floors are not closed, the elevator cannot be called from another floor. ALTAR FLOWER SPONSORSHIP: Due to an increase in floral costs, effective January 2009, the cost of the altar flowers has increased to $7.00 per week. The new total cost is $34.50 per week. There is still one opening to sponsor flowers on Sunday, November 1 of this year. NEW 2010 CHURCH DIRECTORY: Our NEW Church Directory has been revised and completed. The Directories are now available in the Church Office. Thanks to all for updating their information. St. John's QUILTERS: Mensch Mill has a challenge - they are looking for 30 twin size quilts and 10 full size quilts to be made and donated to the Kline Center in 2010. Trinity in Collegeville, St. John’s in Lansdale, and New Goshenhoppen in East Greenville have already met the challenge. Let’s make Mensch Mill an even homier place through our generosity, time, and creative energies. PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY: Do you know someone who would be warmed in body, mind and spirit by receiving a prayer shawl? If so, please contact either Barbara Fehnel or Mary Gillen. They have prayer shawls available. Not only are the shawls a wonderful blessing to those who receive them, but they are wonderful blessings to those who make them! We look forward to welcoming anyone else who would like to be a part of this ministry. Patterns for making prayer shawls can be found in the plastic holder below the bulletin board in the Narthex. Please see Barbara or Mary with any questions. PRAYER CHAIN: The Prayer Chain is an opportunity for us to communicate with God. Please allow our Prayer Chain to join you in prayer. The information you give will be kept confidential. For prayer needs or for membership, please contact Marcella Kulp at 215-536-5625. CASH REGISTER TAPE FUNDRAISER: The Women's Guild collects cash register tapes from Redner's Warehouse Markets. Please register for a Shopper's Card at the courtesy counter and tell them it is for St. John's UCC. When doing your shopping at Boyer's Food Markets use your Key Tag. Key tags are still available - please see Helen Refsnider. Thank you to everyone who for helping! STAPLES: Please bring your empty toner and ink cartridges (any brand) to the Church Office. Staples will give us a $3 credit for every cartridge we return to the store. We are able to return 10 cartridges per month, which gives us $30 a month to spend on office supplies - FOR FREE! Staples accepts any brand! Thank you so much for all of your support with this great way to recycle and save St. John's in office expenses! QUAKERTOWN FOOD PANTRY: The season of Lent and Holy Week has passed, but our hungry neighbors are still in need of of our donations. Please use the container in the Narthex for your contributions. SCRAP BOOKING: We are looking for talented, dedicated, scrap bookers to put together books of St. John's history. If you think you are up to the task, please contact the Church Office. OUR CHURCH FAMILY: Prayers and Concerns within Our Congregation: Jeanette Kade at Phoebe Richland USE OF THE CHURCH: Any activities that need to be 'booked' at St. John's need to go through the Church Office for scheduling -- this is so that we don't have any conflict of interest.              Thank you in advance for your consideration.

St. John's DATES TO REMEMBER
	NOTE - For events not directly affiliated with St. John's UCC, please see the Local Events page.   March 3 - Lenten Worship & Soup Supper - 6:30 pm March 5 - World Day of Prayer March 8 - Worship Committee Meeting - 7:00 pm March 10 - Lenten Worship & Soup Supper - 6:30 pm March 11 - Church Council Meeting - 7:30 pm March 14 - Daylight Savings Time Begins March 14 - One Great Hour of Sharing March 14 - WOW sponsored Social Hour March 14 - Easter Candy & Flower Orders Due March 17 - Lenten Worship & Soup Supper - 6:30 pm March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day March 21 - Easter Candy Delivery March 24 - Lenten Worship & Soup Supper - 6:30 pm March 28 - Confirmation March 28 - Last Sunday for Lenten Food Collection March 28 - Deadline for Hygiene & Baby Kits March 31 - Food for Friends April 17 - Spaghetti Dinner - 5:30 - 7:30 pm June 12 - Knoelels Trip (more details later) August 6 - Iron Pigs Baseball Game (more details later)   Lenten Wednesday Worship & Soup Suppers   February 24, March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24 Wednesday evening worship during Lent is being revived again. Our church, St. John's Lutheran, Richlandtown, and St. Paul's, Applebachsville will join together to sponsor these services. The evening will include a Soup Supper beginning at 6:30 pm. All services will be held at the St. John's Lutheran Activities Center with worship beginning at 7:30 pm. The five services will be based on the theme "Living Lent - The Animals Tell the Story." The animals (of all things!) mentioned near or during the Passion of our Lord, serve as windows in Jesus' life, teaching and saving in this dramatic service series for Lent. These are OUR JOINT services with St. John's and St. Paul's Lutheran. The pastors will participate in dialogue sermons each week. Please come out and support this new venture!   Lenten Food Drive   We will be accepting food donations during Lent for the Quakertown Food Pantry. Starting Sunday, February 21st (the first Sunday in Lent) through Sunday, March 28th (Palm Sunday) we will be collecting food for our Lenten food drive. The Food Pantry has requested no Macaroni, Spaghetti, or other Pasta Varieties. Also, no Canned Vegetables. The items that are needed are Canned Meats - Tuna, Chicken, and Spam, Manwich, Beef Stew, Chili, Pork & Beans, Cereals - Oats, Krispy Rice, and other Varieties of Cereal that are not High in Sugars. Also needed are Canned Fruits, especially applesauce. Food is preferred, but some paper products and soaps will also be accepted.   EASTER CANDY SALE   Easter will be here before you know it. Enclosed in your February Newsletter was your Easter Candy Order forms. Don't forget to get these goodies for the kids and grandkids! Orders will be accepted through Sunday March 14, and delivery will be on Sunday, March 21.   St. John's Youth   March 14 is One Great Hour of Sharing. The Sunday school class will be preparing a meal to share with a member of our congregation . . . the theme is 'Feed my Sheep'. The youth will prepare the meal during the Sunday school hour on March 14th and deliver it to one of our members after church. The youth will also be collecting coins that will be donated to One Great Hour of Sharing. Our Easter Egg Dying Party will be on Saturday, April 3 starting at 10:30 am. We will dye and paint Easter eggs, and our craft project is to make crosses that the youth will hand out in church on Easter Sunday. After our egg dying we will be providing lunch (chicken nuggets and French fries). On Easter Sunday, we will begin Sunday school at 9:15 am, rather than 9:00 am. The Sunday school children will be singing and hunting for eggs. We are looking for donations of candy and hard-boiled eggs. Candy can be left in the kitchen anytime up until Saturday morning. We will have a sign-up sheet for those people interested in providing hard-boiled eggs for the children to dye and paint. The eggs should be brought to the church on Saturday, April 3 no later than 10:00 am.   Annual Spaghetti Dinner   Saturday, April 17th from 5:30-7:30 pm This year the Spaghetti Dinner will be held at the Activities Center. Anyone interested in performing in the talent show should contact Jessica Sechriest.   Personal Notes
	Ernest Gross would like to Thank everyone at St. John's for their cards, thoughts, and prayers on the passing of his beloved wife, Gladys.   Carole Freed and her family would like to thank the Members and Friends of St. John’s for their cards and words of kindness, and also for their thoughts and prayers on the passing of her Brother, David ‘Chip’ Leh, Jr.

St. John's Cook Book
	Our newest cook book, Our Treasured Recipes, is now on sale! ! ! This great cook book will be on sale in the Social Hall (see Hazel Kramer). This is a brand new book and is chock-full of new and interesting recipes. The price is only $15 Please support this new fundraiser for St. John's!

A Good Change - our New Lounge!

If you haven't checked out St. John's new lounge and library, you are in for a pleasant surprise! Thanks to the efforts of Kim Gibialante, George & Marge Schaffer, Joe Horton, and Dave Williams, the area outside of the nursery has been transformed into a relaxing sitting area and library. Additional thanks to the WOW group for helping to "foot the bill" for some of the furniture and to all who have contributed books. There are books for young and old alike which can be borrowed by church members. There is a black notebook on the cabinets where you can sign out any book you would like. There are no established due dates, we simply ask that you attempt to bring back the book in a reasonable time so that others may enjoy it as well. Most book donations are accepted (books should be in good condition and appropriate for a church library), but we do ask your cooperation in keeping this area neat and organized. Please see Kerry Thompson if you have any questions or concerns.

THANK YOU

St. John's Church Replicas There are still replicas (Cat's Meow-like) of our Church that can be purchased at the church office for $10 or call Judy Guise, (215) 536-5196.  On the back of each is a short history of our Church.  The building  makes for a very nice reminder of our 200th Anniversary celebrations.

News From the UCC

. . . just a little humor . . .