"All Aboard"

One of the houses I grew up in as a child was located on a steep hill about twenty feet or so above some train tracks.  From that vantage point I enjoyed watching the trains go by on a regular basis.  The most memorable of those train-watchings were the times when the freight trains would stop with the caboose directly under my observation point.  The conductor would exit the caboose to stretch his legs and munch on some fruit while the train either off-loaded or on-loaded some cargo.  If he happened to see me, he’d throw me an orange, which I thought was pretty nice!
 
Then when it was time for the train to get moving again, he’d hop up on the caboose and holler, “all aboard!” and off they’d go.  Ah, those were the days—the simpler ones—when watching trains and even just catching an orange thrown to you was a really good time!
 
In some ways, the church is like a train during the summer months:  lots of starts and stops, with some people getting off for a time while others come on board.  We never know just how full our Sunday worship train will be, only that it will come and go on the same regular schedule it does during the rest of the year, sometimes with more passengers, sometimes with fewer.
 
Now summer is almost over, and fall is just around the corner.  What will our church train look like then?  Some might look at attendance numbers and say that our train has slowed down and wonder if it will get up to speed again.  Others will look at our history and say that the summer slowdown is only temporary and we’ll be back up to speed when fall gets here.  Still others may be a bit anxious, knowing not what lies ahead on the tracks and who the new conductor (that would be the pastor) will be, or what he/she will be like. 
 
Whatever position one takes, we all know one thing is for certain:  our St. John’s train has not jumped the tracks, and it will continue on into the future.  How do we know this?  We have the same engineer we’ve always had, Christ Jesus, and he’s promised to be with us and lead us on our entire journey.  Our mission and our goal  is to let Jesus drive the train, and then faithfully follow where the Holy Spirit lays the tracks!  Sometimes it will be clear where those tracks lead; most of the time, though, our vision will be a bit fuzzier.  There may even be some obstacles lying on our tracks that need to  be removed or pushed aside in order for us to move forward.
 
I’m convinced that God has something special in mind for this long-standing, thriving Lutheran congregation we call St. John’s Lutheran Church.  Remember God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”  What those plans are is anybody’s guess, but since God is behind them, they’re bound to be great!  With that promise firmly in mind, get ready to jump back on the St. John’s train on September 9th, when you’ll once again here that Rally Sunday call, “All Aboard!”

                                                                               ~ Pastor Jeff Chubb

Kids Against Hunger
food pack event -- October 20th

Picture
Our Kids Against Hunger food pack event will be held here on Saturday, October 20th.  We will need  MANY helping hands — 10 people to help with set-up for the event on Friday evening, 100 people to work the event from 12pm to 3pm, and 12 people to help with clean-up following the event.  We have created a way for you to sign up online through SignUpGenius.  Just click on this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C45AEA92CA2FB6-kids, choose how you would like to help, and fill in your information.  Paper sign-up sheets are also posted on the bulletin board outside of the Fellowship Hall.  You are also welcome to call the office and we can help get you signed-up.

Everybody Always Bible Study
begins September 16th

Picture
All women of St. John's and their friends are invited to join the Soul Sisters this fall for a 5-part Bible study based on best-selling author Bob Goff's book, EVERYBODY  ALWAYS.
 
Starting September 16, we'll dig into what it truly means to love everybody the way Jesus loved them without fear, insecurity, or restriction. It means not just agreeing with Jesus but actually stepping out and doing what Jesus said.
 
Following Christ means more than just putting a toe in the water when it comes to loving others. It means grabbing your knees and doing a cannonball! And, as Jesus revealed, it means loving the difficult ones. Everybody, Always will provide practical steps to help you take that journey.
 
FYI About Soul Sisters:

- In Soul Sisters, we don't do homework.

- Jump in at any time, any Sunday, and you won't feel like you've missed a thing.

- Every woman is welcome, no matter where you are in your faith walk or your life circumstances.

- We share a lot of great ideas and stories, and we lift each other up every week.

Please join us after church from 10:15am to 11:15am.

Help Yourself...

Picture
Our quilting ladies have been working on “Walker Bags” for residents of area nursing homes.  They are also making them available to members of our congregation.  You will find a basket full of these colorful and handy fabric bags in the Narthex.  Please feel free to take one for yourself or someone you know.