ANNOUNCEMENTS February 62010

Recent Changes in red
February Feed My Sheep: BETHANY HOUSE.

ALL SERVICES FOR 2/7/2010 ARE CANCELED

Dates to Remember.
Lutheran Women in the Fast Lane WILL MEET IN JAN ON JAN17 in the Lounge at 12:30PM.
St. John’s Circle meets at 1:00PM on the 3^rd Tuesday of the month in the Lounge. 
Mary/Martha Circle meets at 7:00PM on the 3^rd Tuesday of the month in the Lounge  
Choir Rehearsal 6:30PM each Wednesday in the Chapel 
Wednesdays Bible Study
February - Blanket Fund Month
February 7- 12:30PM Annual Meeting
February 12 Valentine Luncheon
February 16 4:30-7PM Shrove Tues Pancake Supper
February 16 after Pancake Supper Mary/Martha Circle
February 17 Lent begins Services noon and 7:30PM (with Communion and and Ashes)
February 18 7PM Committee Meetings
February 24 Noon and 7PM Lenten Services
February 27 11AM-1PM Friends Feeding Friends
February 28 1pm Lounge Book Club

Hospice Cookie Drive
Anyone planning to help with this project should bring the cookies to the Church Lounge by noon Monday, February 8, 2010.

January 31 We welcome Judy Hinnerichs into our fellowship. She comes to us by fromEvangelical Lutheran Church, Frederick, MD.
by Letter of transfer
January 24 We Welcome New Members January 24 - Mr. and Mrs. Jamie F. Ferenchick (Amanda J. Agee)

HAITI Earthquake Relief through ELCA Int'l Disaster Response on line
https://community.elca.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=538
Other Ways to Give: Check or money orders sent to: ELCA Int'l Disaster Response Attn: Haiti Earthquake Relief PO Box 71764 Chicago, IL 60694-1764 write "Haiti Earthquake Relief" on your check's memo line. Credit card by phone: 800-638-3522 Credit card contributions may also be made via mail.
All gifts to this human crisis can be made through the church. Make your check out to St. John’s and in the MEMO section put “disaster relief.” Your gifts will be forward to the ELCA’s Disaster Relief Fund.

The 2009 Giving Statements Have Been Mailed! If you have not yet received yours please contact the church office as soon as possible.

Your are cordially invited to join Social Ministry for a Valentine Luncheon on February 12th at the Holiday Inn. For reservations call the Cottrill’s at 304-754-5629. We had a wonderful time last year and hope you will join us

Each Wed during Lent Noon and 7PM Lenten Services

February Is BLANKET FUND Month! Each February the Women of the ELCA ask the members of St. John’s to remember the world’s homeless and destitute through this special appeal. A blanket is such a simple thing and yet to a family without a home it can mean everything. A blanket not only can provide warmth, but it can also provide shelter and sometimes even clothing. It is amazing the ways people use this simple thing to provide some life’s most basic necessities. I hope you will share what you can in the enclosed envelope to help those who have so very little! THANK YOU!

BOOK CLUB NEWS We will meet again on February 28 at 1PM in the Lounge. We are still working on our book “Leaving Yesterday” by Kathryn Cushman.

Congregational Officers Elected Monday, January 6th President - Andrew Banks; Vice President - Teddy Roberts; Secretary - Priscilla Horner; Treasurer - Lee Chamber; Financial Secretary- Bill Agee

Annual Meeting February 7 - 12:30PM
FLYTE is sponsoring a Souper Bowl Lunch; Please bring your favorite soup; dessert will be furnished. Monies raised at St. John’s and other congregations within the youth coalition will pool together to get the Thrivent match, which will be dispersed locally, such as to our Friends Feeding Friends, Loaves and Fishes/CCAP, etc. Annual Reports will be distributed and the meeting will follow lunch.
Annual;Reports will be presented. Any matter of business may come before the congregation present at the annual meeting.

The Mitten Tree The tree will be available through the month of January!Remember the Mitten Tree All clothing items collected through the end of January will be share with Ramer School and their clothing closet for public school students.

Mary/Martha Circle At our next meeting (February 16, after the Pancake Supper) we will start our new Bible Study, “Cultivating a Life of Character” by Elizabeth George. If you would like to order a copy, please see Linda Riley. It is $8.99.

Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp: Summer Camp Registration is ready to start! For more information see announcement here and in January2010 Newsletter
NOW HIRING - Summer Camp Staff for Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp. Looking for an amazing opportunity to grow your own faith, share the gospel AND play outdoors all summer? Consider joining the 2010 Summer Staff at Caroline Furnace. We are looking for counselors, support staff, lifeguards and an emt/nurse. For more information please visit our website at www.CarolineFurnace.org or call 540-933-6266.

FLYTE Be Sure to click the FLYTE file for information about Operation Christmas Child, “Change for Change”and FLYTE’s experiences at the Gathering in New Orleans

Adult Bible Study Class
A series of Bible studies to introduce the new ELCA five-year series entitled Book of Faith. The purpose of the series is to assist Lutherans in becoming more proficient in the use of the Bible. The classes meet in the main room of Luther Hall. during the Sunday School time- approx. 9:45AM. It is not too late to become part of the group. This effort by the ELCA is intended to be an ongoing process. The new Lutheran Study Bible is available through the church office.
A study of Islam will begin soon in the Adult Bible Study Class. More information will be shared through the bulletins and newsletter. All are welcome!!!!

E-Mail Addresses
Every so often we have information to pass along to members that should’t wait for the newsletter or the Sunday bulletin. E-mail is a wonderful way to get important church news out quickly. We would appreciate it greatly if you would share your e-mail address with the church office. We pledge not to sell, give, or send it away! Thanks!

RAISE THE LIFT REPORT
"Raise the Lift" Contributions as of12/31/09 total $14,664. click here

Friends Feeding Friends
Usually the fourth Saturday of the month 11AM to 1PM!
Many thanks to our volunteers. Friends Feeding Friends

Check Out Our Library - It’s stocked full of great books! The library is located in the Lounge in Luther Hall.

SCRIPT CARD EARNINGS THROUGH 11/30/09 $3037
$1500 used to defray cost of new flooring in classrooms and $600 used to help defray cost of air conditioning in Church
(EXCEL FILE -may require latest version) 4/22/08 Script Card Order Blank (Adobe .pdf FILE) 4/22/08 Script Card Order Blank

Stewardship Information
The Church Council has requested that periodically we print information on congregational giving. At the end of December 2009, we have contributed $207,585 in offering and spent $302,994 leaving a deficit of $95,409- Link for report
December OFFERING AND EXPENDITIURES

PRIOR ANNOUNCEMENTS