E-Vine November 14, 2015

This Week’s Memory Verse

What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! ~Romans 7:24

We continue our worship series on Paul’s letter to the Romans.  Grace was the heart of the message that Paul preached.  As he began to prepare to go to Rome to preach and teach there, he sent a letter to the Church to serve as an introduction to his message.  That letter, Paul’s letter to the Romans, is the most systematic and thorough treatment of the plan of salvation in the New Testament.  Reading almost like a theology text book, Paul lays out the need for grace and the amazing gift of grace.

Paul continues his presentation on dealing with sin in light of the salvation we have received by grace.  This week he focuses on the life that we have now through the Holy Spirit.  We have been given new life through the Spirit of God who dwells in us.  But how does the Holy Spirit lead us, and how do we follow Him in this new life?

• Numbers 11:25-29
• Romans 8:1-17
• John 16:7-15

• St. John’s Lutheran School Theatre Department Proudly Presents:  “Getting to Know – The Sound of Music”.  Performances on November 18, 19, 20, & 21 at 7:00 PM and a preview performance on the 18^th at 1:00 PM.  All shows are in the Parish Hall.  Mark your calendars!  Tickets can be purchased at the school office or call 226-7970.  Seats sell out quickly!

• Children’s Church teachers this week: Erika Boudreaux, Teresa Schmid, Jenny Gass

• Valley Fire Victims Offering Results…   Good news! A total of $2,821 was gathered through the door offering November 1^st for relief of victims of the recent Valley Fire. This total will be increased by matching funds available through Thrivent (approximately $950), and will be made available through responsible agents in place to assist victims. Thank you for your generosity!

• You are Invited!!!   The Go Fish Guys from Vacation Bible School at St. John’s Lutheran are coming back to help us kick off the Christmas season with a special Advent celebration.  Your child won’t want to miss out on the songs, dances, stories, pizza, craft, game and themed snack which are all part of this special time together.  Parents are provided the gift of time as we encourage you to simplify this holiday season.  Here’s a link for the registration form. It can be emailed back to jenny_gass@yahoo.com, dropped off  in the school office or preschool.  Space is limited so do not delay!  Friday, December 4th 5:00-8:00PM  Open to current preschoolers through 5th grade.   Registration form is attached.

• Chili Cook-Off…  Don’t miss the first Annual Chili Cook-Off on January 31^st!  This event will be sponsored by the high school youth group in an effort to raise funds for the 2016 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, LA.  Congregation members, friends, and family are invited to enter their chili into this contest.  Please contact Youth Ministry Director, Sam Troemel, for more information on rules and registration.  He can be reached via e-mail at Samuel@stjohnslutheran.net.

• Thanksgiving Day Worship . . Join us for worship on Thanksgiving Day at 9:30 AM. This will be a Communion service.  We will also be gathering non-perishable food items for the Napa Food Bank.

• Best Practices Conference . . . You are invited to join Pastor Mike, Pastor Mark, Janis King, Sam Troemel and Tim & Christy Kramer in attending the 2016 Best Practices for Ministry Conference at Christ Church Lutheran in Phoenix.  What is the conference about? This is a conference for both church workers and lay people.  It focuses on sharing practical info on what works along with transparency on what doesn’t work in parish ministry, in addition to uplifting worship, fellowship and encouragement. For a list of planned speakers, topics and sessions, please check out the conference website. http://www.cclphoenix.org/bpm_az.html.  This is a “free” conference, meaning that there is no registration fee. The host congregation provides free meals for the duration of the conference.  We have some funds available to defray some of the cost on transportation and lodging.  If you are interested in participating in this conference, or would like additional information, please contact the Church Office.   We encourage you to do so soon because the conference is quickly filling up.

• Christmas Open House . . . You are invited to a Christmas Open House at Pastor Mike and Teresa’s home on Saturday, December 5 from 2:00 – 6:00 pm.  Join us for a cup of Christmas Cheer! (1701 Monarch Drive.)

• Campus Security:  Please remember to check that doors are properly closed and locked as you leave the room you are using.  Thanks for helping us take care of our campus.

• Aaron Comfort Dog Visits:  If you would like to request a visit from Aaron, please contact Tim or Christy Kramer @ 255-0119.  For an update on his activities, please check out his Facebook page at AaronComfortDog.

• Mission India:  Please keep our Mission India Literacy trainer in your prayers.  As announced in church, we have met the goal for financially supporting our trainer for this year.  But we are still collecting support for Mission India, which will go toward supporting other literacy trainers.  To support this ministry financially, please make out your check to St. John’s.  You can use the designated offering envelopes or write on your check that it is for Mission India.  For more information about our partnership with Mission India and the opportunity to change lives and draw them to Christ, click here and see the display in the church entryway.

• Abide Daily Devotion: How do I let Scripture guide my prayer life?  How can I let Jesus direct what I pray for each day?  The Abide Devotion, written by Pastor Mike, is a daily devotion designed to address these concerns.   You can click here for more information and to subscribe to receive the devotion in your email each morning.