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| News and Events |
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ITEMS OF NOTE
ST. JOHN'S WEBSITE: As mentioned in the August Newsletter, Council has given its approval for a new website to be developed. This effort has started. In the meantime, the current website will be updated, but a few items may remain as is, as each website requires time to update. Please bear with us as this new website comes to completion. We hope you'll like the new designs and ease of use. And yes, will we be able to post electronic photos on the new website! We are always looking for great photos from Church events, such as the Peach Festival, the Church Picnic, Sunday School, and the Rummage Sale. If you forward these pictures to St. John's, we'll look through them to choose which will be posted. Thanks! And, if you would like to support St. John's and sponsor our website, please let the Church Office know! ELEVATOR PROBLEMS: Recently we have had problems with our elevator. When exiting the elevator, please make sure the door is completely closed and latched. If the doors on all floors are not closed, the elevator cannot be called from another floor. CHURCH USE: Any activities that need to be 'booked' at St. John's need to go through the Church Office for scheduling. This is so there is isn't a conflict of interest. Thank you in advance of your consideration. CHURCH KITCHEN: Please try to keep our kitchen tidy. And don't forget refrigerated items that might not keep. SCRIPTURE READING: We are always looking for volunteers to read scripture passages at our Sunday morning Worship Services. If you would like to read or have any questions, please see Marcella Kulp. ST. JOHN'S QUILTERS: Don't forget to buy a chance from the Quilters. Stop in and see the beautiful quilt that they have are working on. Chances are only $1 each or 6 for $5. The Raffle Drawing will be held on *Saturday, November 20th at the Christmas Bazaar! 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. THE 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. OUR DAILY BREAD: The Devotional Booklets Our Daily Bread for June-August are available at the end of the pews. Please consider donating to this ministry. 2010 ALTAR FLOWERS: The 2010 Altar Flower Calendar is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex. There are several openings for people who wish to sponsor our altar flowers. We are looking for sponsors for August 1 & 30, and Septermber 5. 2010 BULLETIN SPONSORS: The 2010 Bulletin Sponsor List is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex. The cost is $5.00 per week per sponsor. There is room for two sponsors per week. Please help defray the cost of printing our bulletins by volunteering to be a Bulletin Sponsor. If you have any questions, please contact Carla Spotts. ARE YOU A SCRAP BOOKER? We are looking for a talented, dedicated, scrap booker to put together books of St. John's history. If you think you are up to the task, plese contact the Church Office. ST. JOHN'S COOK BOOKS: We still have a few St. John's Cook Books available. Please see Hazel Kramer or stop in the Church Office to purchase a copy. The price is still $15! And remember, they make great gifts!! 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. ST. JOHN'S LOUNGE: There are spme new additions to our library . . . come downstairs and take a look at the new display that Barb Fehnel and Mary Musselman put together . . . local authors and children's books. Just sign-out a book and enjoy it at home for a while! SPREAD THE WORD!: All Committee Chairpersons, please give reports or any current information on meetings, socials, events, etc., to the Church Secretary or Pastor Linda. The deadline is Wednesday for the following Sunday Bulletin. Please call 215-538-0875, or e-mail, or send your information to our Post Office box. Our e-mail address is stjuccrichtown@enter.net . There is a large 2010 calendar placed in the Narthex on the bulletin board. People are strongly encouraged to fill in pertinent information / planned meetings / events, etc., on the calendar for all to see. OUR CHURCH FAMILY: Prayers and Concerns within Our Congregation. Jeanette Kade at Phoebe Richland
August - October Events and Information
~ Church Council Update ~ ~ Planning continues for the project to renovate the upstairs restrooms in the church. Council has approved moving forward with the project. It is Council's desire to see the project completed as soon as possible. While some of the funding for the project is in place, donations from the congregation will be needed. Currently we have about $3,000 of the needed $8,000 to $10,000 in place. Requests for designated additional giving have been sent out to all members. ~ Vice President Romaine Thrapp is leading an effort to update the church's job descriptions and information about the various committees. We thank the Committee Chairs who have returned their information forms and remind those that we have not heard from to complete their forms. ~ At Council's August meeting we learned from Hazel Kramer that this would be her last year serving as St. John's Financial Secretary. While everyone is sorry to see Hazel give up this position, we all celebrate that she has been able and willing to serve St. John's in this capacity for over forty five years. Please join us in thanking Hazel for her service. ~ The next Church Council Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 9 at 7:30 pm in the Church Office.
~ Communication ~ ~ All committee Chairs please give reports or information on current meetings to Pastor Linda or to the Church Secretary by Wednesday for the next bulletin, and by the 20th of the month for the Newsletter. You can e-mail us at stjuccrichtown@enter.net. ~ Also, a large calendar has been placed in the Nartehex on the bulletin board, People are strongly encouraged to fill-in their planned meetings/events on the calendar for everyone to see.
~ 2010 Peach Festival ~ With a weather forecast full of doubt, and the memories of last year’s rain-shortened Festival fresh in our minds, August 18th started off with a big old question mark. With a lot of faith and a lot of eyes on the skies and weather radars, we proceeded with our plans for the day and night. Peach peeling, baking, husking, setting up, and cooking—so many hands worked together to make the event happen. Then from 6-9 there’s more cooking, serving, running around, and “gaming” as the St. John’s team put forth their best effort once again to greet the community and share Christian fellowship with all that came. Favorite hymns were played all night and I saw many people tapping their feet and singing along with The ‘Renaissance Gospel Group’. Despite the rain that fell in all the towns around us that evening, Richlandtown escaped the precipitation and was blessed with a rain-free night and even a beautiful double rainbow. To top the evening off, we realized a profit just shy of $3,300. THANK YOU VERY MUCH to everyone who helped make the Peach Festival happen—especially the Festival Committee composed of Donnie Edmonds, Mary Gillen, Mary Hardcastle, Joe Horton, Karen and Shannon King, Linda Lindsay, Helen Refsnider, Marge Schaffer and Jade Scholl. Mindy Metzger was a big help in so many ways and the committee appreciated Pastor Linda’s encouragement and support as well.If you didn’t make it out to the Festival this year, we hope to see you there next year. Please let any committee member know if you have any thoughts or suggestions on how to make our event even better than it already is! Our 2010 Raffle Winners Were: 1st Prize $75 WAWA Gift Card – Floyd Bless Jr. 2nd Prize $40 Gift Certificate to the Brick Tavern Inn & 2 Movie Passes – Mindy Metzger 3rd Prize $40 Gift Certificate to the Spinnerstown Hotel & 2 Movie Passes - Chrissy Stauffer 4th Prize 40 Gift Certificate to the Ferndale Inn & 2 Movie Passes – Gail Jancsics 5th Prize 1 Year Membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club & a $25 BJ Gift Card – Harriette Smith 6th Prize $50 Giant Food Stores Gift Card – Elizabeth Kroboth 7th Prize $30 Gift Certificate to Fino’s Pizzeria & 4 rounds of Golf - Lauren McCabe 8th Prize $25 Gift Certificate to Bubba’s Pot Belly Stove & 2 Movie Passes – Gabby Casey 9th Prize $25 Gift Certificate to McCoole’s Restaurant & 4 rounds of Golf – John Shelmire 10th Prize Dinner for 2 at Friendly’s Restaurant & 6 games of Bowling – Cheryl Hoey The Silent Prizes. The Winners Are . . . Braun Electric Toothbrush (donated by Dr. Charles Fulp) - Tammy Keeler won Classic Hair Designs donated a gift vase with supplies and a gift card for 3 manicures - John Gross won School Bag and Supplies (donated by Ruth Ann Ackerman & Mary Gillen) - Craig Thompson won Grida's Soft Ice Cream (donated by David Grida) - David Ackerman won BJ's Warehouse Club Membership or Membership Renewal (donated by BJ's) - Linda Lindsay won Ladies Watch and a Scented Light Jar (donated by Linda Lindsay) - Karen Peterson won Hood Cooler with Water (donated by David Shearer) - David Ackerman won Men's Watch and Emergency Road Kit (donated by Linda Lindsay) - Craig Thompson won QNB donated 2 movie tickets & Chick Filet donated a waterbottle, a stuffed cow and 3 coupons - Janice Heichel won QNB donated 2 movie tickets & Chick Filet donated a waterbottle, a stuffed cow and 3 coupons - Mary Slotter won
~ Summer Harmony - August 27 ~ Summer Harmony Men's Chorus, which appeared at St. John's in 2007 during our 200th Anniversary celebration year, will appear at Parkland High School, off Cedar Crest Boulevard, Allentown, on Friday evening, August 27th at 7:30 pm. Appearing with them will be the Allentown Band. Several men from our Cantata Choir are also members of Summer Harmony. See Larry Benner, Assistant Director, for tickets.
~ Rally Day - September 12 ~ Youth & Family Worship Service - 11:00 am, followed by our Church Picnic Please join us for this fun-filled day of games, food, music, and fellowship! This year Rally Day will be combined with the Church Picnic on September 12. The children will be sharing and enjoying music they learned from Vacation Bible School as well as making cards for Grandparents Day. All children are welcome to join us for this Summer Send-Off and Sunday School Kick-Off Celebration!
~ Richlandtown Borough 4th Annual Community Day - September 18 ~ Community Day will be from 8:00 - 2:00 pm. Community-wide Yard Sales all day! 10:00 am - Play Date at Benner Hall. 4:00 - 7:00 pm - Community Day Picnic at Benner Hall. All the food is free as well as almost all activities, so come out and enjoy the fun! 7:00 pm - Free Family Movie Night We are planning to have a table/booth from 4-7 pm. We are looking for volunteers to create some simple craft items - Please see Karen Bilger if you can help.
Please see our August Newsletter for more details . . .
~ Food for Friends - September 29 ~ Our next Food for Friends Meal is on Wednesday, September 29. Don't forget to mark your calendars!
~ Fall Rummage Sale - October 7 & 8 ~ Start collecting your items for our Fall Rummage Sale on October 7 & 8. Pass the word to families, friends, and neighbors. Also, the Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 20. Any crafts and homemade goodies would be greatly appreciated for the sale.
~ The Crop Walk - Sunday, October 10 ~ Mark your calendars now! The 2010 Crop Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 10, 1:30 pm, at Memorial Park, Quakertown. In August, Crop Walk supplies and informational packets will be distributed. Karen Bilger and Marcella Kulp will be organizing the St. John's team. This is sponsored by the Quakertown Ministerium. We will need walkers and donations! Come out and join us for a great day of fun & fellowship!
~ Phoebe's 10th Anniversary Calendar ~ Phoebe Richland Health Care Center's 10th Anniversary Wall calendar is available for sale as a fundraiser to benefit the addition of their new resident park area for outdoor activities! Pictures of residents, family, volunteers, and employees are included The Wall Calendar runs from Septermber 2010 through December 2011 For questions or to purchase a 16-month anniversary calendar at a cost of $18, call 267-371-4508, or e-mail kkiehstaller@phoebe.org . The Springhouse Park Addition will include a covered patio, children’s play area, a water feature, raised gardens, a large checker board and more! The Wall Calendar is a commemorative piece that highlights special events, senior services and historical tidbits about Phoebe Richland HCC. Checks can be made payable to Phoebe Richland HCC and mailed to: Attn. Kristin Kiehstaller, PRHCC, 108 S. Main Street, Richlandtown, PA 18955.
~ A Great Big Thank You! ~ A Great BIG Thank You to Helen Refsnider for weeding our sidewalks and gardens!!
~ F Y I ~
The WOW Group would like the congregation to save plastic bags for their project of making plastic crochet bags and water bottles. Thank You!
Mrs. Romaine Thrapp is the proud Grandparent of a beautiful baby boy, Gavin James Dunn -- 8 lbs. 8 oz., and 21 1/2" long. Gavin was born on July 24, 2010. ~ Happy Birthday ! ! !~
Happy Birthday Helen -- 94 Years Young! Helen would like to thank you all for your cards & Birthday wishes. Mrs. Helen Benner turned 94 years old on June 30th.
~ Henrietta Landis Jahnsen ~ Henrietta Landis Jahnsen passed away on Wednesday, May 26th. There will be a Memorial Service on Saturday, September 11th at St. John's Lutheran Church in Richlandtown. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 am with a full Communion Service beginning at 11:00 am. ~ St. John's Senior Choir ~ St. John’s Senior Choir rehearsals will take place on Wednesday evenings, September 1st, 8th and 15th at 7 pm in preparation for the Choir’s return to Sunday morning services. Weekly rehearsals will resume on Sunday, September 19th at 8:45 am… the first Sunday of the regular 10:15 am worship schedule. The Choir is always looking for new voices. If you enjoy music and like to sing, the Senior Choir is the place for you. Don’t hesitate any longer and come join our Choir family, as we sing our praises to Almighty God.
~ Church World Service School Kit Program ~ And St. John’s Youth are preparing to undertake . . . CWS School Kits. These kits give children in impoverished schools, refugee camps or other difficult settings some of the basic tools for learning.
• One pair of blunt metal scissors (rounded tip) • Three 70-count spiral notebooks or notebooks totaling 200 -210 pages (no loose-leaf or filler paper). • One 30-centimeter ruler (12") • One hand-held pencil sharpener • One large eraser • Six new pencils with erasers • One box of 24 crayons (only 24) • One 12" x 14" to 14" x 17" finished size cotton or lightweight canvas bag with cloth handles (please, no reusable shopping bags or backpacks). Pack all items inside the cloth bag. Patterns for the bag are available online at www.churchworldservice.org or by calling your CWS Regional Office at 888-297-2767. For more information on these kits please see Shannon King or Emily Scholl. ~ St. John's 2010 Directories ~ Our 2010 Directories are now available in the Narthex. If you know someone who needs a copy mailed to them, please contact the Church Office. Also, if you have any revisions, please let the Office know. Thank You. (e-mail: stjuccrichtown@enter.net)
~ Disposing of Old Medications ~ If you need to dispose of old medications properly, Rann Pharmacy in Harleysville has a disposal box. And a website that can help in areas pertaining to medications is . . . www.mymedschedule.com .
~ PASE Conference of the UCC ~ Please see our August Nesletter for a list of events.
~ Grocery Store Fundraisers ~ The WOW group 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 shopping at Boyer's Food Markets don't forget to use your Key Tag, which are available - please see Helen Refsnider. We received a check from Redner's for $152.30 -- Great job St. John's...keep collecting those register tapes!
~ Staples ~ Please bring your empty toner and ink cartridges (any brand) to the church office. Staples will give us a $2 towards purchases for every cartridge we return to the store. We are able to return 10 cartridges per month, which gives us $20 a month to spend on office supplies for free! Staples accespts any brand. We are in need of more cartridges for store credit -- please remember to drop the off at the Church or at the Office. Thank you!
~ Quakertown Food Pantry ~ Serving God by serving those in need 215-536-0240 E-mail: quakertownfoodpantry@gmail.com Our youth and Pastor Linda dropped off food at the Food Pantry that had been collected from our Church and the joint VBS group, last week. Tht total weight was 106.4 pounds. Great Job, St. John's! Pantry Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Tuesday and Thursday - 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Saturday - 10:00 am to Noon
~ Vacation Bible School ~ Vacation Bible School was held from July 12th through July 16th and our theme was Egypt. Everyone involved had a great time. Once again we joined up with St. John's Lutheran Church. The weather wasn't the greatest, but the kids all had a terrific time. Every night the children heard a Bible story from Joseph. They were also involved in crafts, games, snacks, and singing each night. Both Churches would like to thank everyone that donated snacks and those that gave their time as teachers, helpers, and participants of Bible School! Keep the week after the 4th of July free next year and join us during our week of Vacation Bible School. A Big Thank You to Pastor Susan, Pastor Linda and both Congregations for a terrific team effort!
~ . . . a little UCC humor . . . ~
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