E-Vine November 23, 2016

This Week’s Memory Verse

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ~John 5:44-45                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

As We Gather

We begin our celebration of the season of Advent and our preparation for Christmas.  Or have you already been preparing for Christmas?  What does that mean?  How do we prepare?  The truth is that there are two holidays that happen to coincide on December 25.  There is the secular Winter Holiday which happens to be at the same time as the celebration of the birth of the Savior.  Which are we celebrating?  Which are we preparing for?

This year, we once again you to participate in the Advent Conspiracy.  What does that mean?

• Worship Fully
• Spend Less
• Give More
• Love All

For more information, go to adventconspiracy.org

• Old Testament Reading Isaiah 2:1-5
• Psalm Psalm 122
• New Testament Reading Romans 13:8-14
• Holy Gospel Matthew 24:36-44

• Advent Midweek Soup Suppers…The first Advent Soup Supper is November 30 at 6:00 PM in the Parish Hall.  We will be staying in the Parish Hall for the Midweek service at 7:00

• Advent Midweek Service November 30 7:00.  This service will focus on the power of God’s Word to bring healing in the midst of physical ailments, strained relationships, and other difficulties and challenges in life.  An extended period of time for community and personal prayers will be a part of the service, as well as anointing with oil.

• Thrivent Builds Mission Trip:  The summer 2017 mission trip will be on the Hawaiian island of Kauai from July 3 to 13.  A team of 12 people will assist in the building of a new home with Habitat for Humanity.  The event is open to current college students and those who are 20 and older.  The estimated cost is $620 for Thrivent members and $920 for non-Thrivent members.  Email Pastor Mark for trip details and application pastormark@stjohnslutheran.net.  The application deadline is January 31, 2017.

• Cyber Monday Shopping Tips – Keep Your Information Secure…The holiday shopping season is upon us. Many people choose to avoid the hassles of traffic and crowds by shopping online, especially on Cyber Monday. However, the Internet is also convenient for criminals, giving them multiple ways to access the personal and financial information of unsuspecting shoppers.

Keep your information secure. Beware of online scams and identity thieves. Review security tips from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, such as:

• Do business with reputable vendors – Some attackers may try to trick you by creating malicious websites that appear to be legitimate, so you should verify the legitimacy before supplying any information. (See Understanding Web Site Certificates for more information.)
• Make sure your information is being encrypted – Many sites use secure sockets layer (SSL) to encrypt information. Indications that your information will be encrypted include a URL that begins with “https:” instead of “http:” and a padlock icon. If the padlock is closed, the information is encrypted. Some attackers try to trick users by adding a fake padlock icon, so make sure that the icon is in the appropriate location for your browser.
• Be wary of emails requesting information – Attackers may attempt to gather information by sending emails requesting that you confirm purchase or account information. (See Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks.) Legitimate businesses will not solicit this type of information through email. Do not provide sensitive information through email. If you receive an unsolicited email from a business, instead of clicking on the provided link, directly log on to the authentic website by typing the address yourself. (See Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams.)
• Use a credit card – There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, but you may not have the same level of protection for your debit cards. Also use a credit card when using a payment gateway such as PayPal, Google Wallet, or Apple Pay. Find additional shopping or basic online safety and security tips with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Stop. Think. Connect. Toolkit.   Link: https://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect-toolkit  And here is a helpful flyer to print out.

• Built on the Rock Construction in Full Swing.  Setup for Sunday worship in the Parish Hall is on Saturday evenings at 6:00 PM.  We have set up an online tool for signing up to help.  Please contact Kathy Fitzgerald at kathyfitzgerald@sbcglobal.net to add your name to the list.

• Built on the Rock Update: Through November 13, $98,026 has been offered for “Built on the Rock,” the Earthquake Repair and Seismic Upgrade.  We need $87,974 more to reach the goal of $186,000.

• Looking for a way to directly impact a local youth in need this Christmas?  Aaron Comfort Dog has an idea for you. Team Aaron has the privilege to be a comforting support for the Napa County Court and Community Schools where the students are some of the most vulnerable in our community. Aaron visits them every week providing consistent comfort. Some barely have the day to day necessities so their school has up THE GIVING TREE. Students and their families unable to afford the extras of the holidays are given a paper ornament to list their Christmas wishes. Some of these families are just asking for clothes, food, and blankets (and of course toys). Gifts are due by December 9th so they can be distributed before the school breaks for the holiday. If you are interested in helping a local family in need please email Autumn Zimmerman at avzimmerman@yahoo.com  She can pick up an ornament for you and give you all the details. If you want to know more about the schools check it out at http://www.napacoe.org/programs-students/court-community-schools/  Thanks for “Reaching Out”!

• Napa Valley CanDo  Look for St. John’s Mission Farm featured inside the 2016 Napa Valley Give!Guide (p. 9). The Mission Farm is one of 43 local nonprofits chosen to be included in this year’s edition. The Give!Guide is a project of Napa Valley CanDo, and encourages support for these nonprofits who serve the community. You should have received your copy in the mail, enclosed in the November MarketPlace Magazine. They are also available in a number of places throughout the area, including in the Parish Hall where we are gathering for worship these days.

• The Give!Guide makes supporting the nonprofits easy. Donate $10 or more to one or many in a single, easy transaction. Donations are tax-deductible. Head online to NVGiveGuide.org to donate, or use the form in your copy of the Give!Guide. Didn’t get one in the mail, or find it around town? The website offers all the information you need.  Of course, the Mission Farm volunteers hope that you will support the Farm. You can do that either through the Give!Guide, or by giving a check to St. John’s earmarked Mission Farm. Both ways help, but the total gifts given thru the Give!Guide are revealed in real time. Encourage your friends to give as well.

• NEW St. John’s Facilities Online Calendar:  Looking for a room for a meeting or event?  You can now view this calendar online.  Go to https://teamup.com/ks059311afd6a21c57   If you would like to book a room/location on campus for an event/meeting, please contact Christy Kramer at the church office to be added to the calendar.  Please note:  You may only use the facility if you have pre-reserved your requested room/location with Christy Kramer.         

• ASPCA Recognizes Ruthie Comfort Dog:  Remember Ruthie Comfort Dog?  She came to Napa to help after our earthquake and the Valley fires.  She has been given a special award by ASPCA “Dog of the Year”.  To view, click here:

• Aaron Comfort Dog… New team members are always welcome!  Come join us and observe how this amazing ministry works.  Please contact Tim or Christy Kramer if you would like to “shadow” during one of our events!

• Mission India:  Please keep this year’s Mission India Literacy trainers in your prayers.  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, see www.missionindia.org.

• Children’s Church Teachers: Scott Zimmerman, Jim & Irene McClenahan

 

• Aaron Comfort Dog Contact Info:  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, Instagram, and Twitter pages at AaronComfortDog.

• 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.

• 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.