Join us tonight for Evening Prayer and Fellowship

Join us tonight via Zoom at 6:30 pm for a brief Service of Evening Prayer followed by a time of fellowship to see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, and catch up with each other.  It’s a great time to pause and reconnect during the middle of the week.  You can join from any digital device by clicking this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84551334188

If you'd prefer to call in, you may do so by dialing (312) 626 6799 and entering this meeting ID: 845 5133 4188.

The liturgy for evening prayer can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H22OtlE7QgqjyRkb1aVcmafpTiej3gXe/view?usp=sharing

Share a picture of your pet for the Blessing of the Animals

We'll have our beloved annual “Blessing of the Animals” this Sunday, September 27, during our 10 a.m. virtual worship service.  Be sure to have your pets with you during the service or, if they have passed on, have a picture of them or a piece of paper with their name on it to hold as we pray a blessing these beloved creatures.  If you have a picture available, be sure to email a copy of it to Tarah Tiedt so we can create a slideshow to share images of our wonderful animal companions with everyone during the service.  You can email the pictures to her at education@stjohnsuccgr.org.

Join us TONIGHT for Evening Prayer, Fellowship, and a Voter Information Session

Join us tonight via Zoom at 6:30 pm for a brief Service of Evening Prayer followed by a time of fellowship and then stay with us afterwards at 7 pm for a Voter Information Session presented by the League of Women Voters.  

What's the ballot this fall in Michigan? How do we vote in the midst of a pandemic? Betsy Cushman, a representative of the League of Women Voters, will join us for a special presentation by Zoom. She will discuss what’s on the ballot this fall and how to overcome the challenges to voting presented by the pandemic. Invite friends and join us for the short presentation and conversation!

There's one Zoom link for both events.  Just click here to join with any digital device: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84551334188.  If you'd prefer to call in, you may do so by dialing (312) 626 6799 and entering this meeting ID:  845 5133 4188.

The liturgy for evening prayer can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ehh8yLEb-pjj6I7Ju6XjrpiJS8ESfCl8/view?usp=sharing.

Food Truck

Today we will gather at The Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church located at 1550 0swego NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 at 5:00 PM.  Volunteers are welcome to unload, sort, pack and distribute 5,000 pounds of food purchased from Feeding American West Michigan.  If you can not participate with us in person, prayers for our first drive though Food Truck to be safe and successful will be helpful. 

Location:

The Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church
1550 Oswego N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Sep 2, 2020 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

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Outdoor Fellowship August 30

Join us tomorrow,  Sunday, August 30, 2020 right after church for outdoor ZOOM fellowship. The weather looks like it will cooperate this time, so plan to take your laptop, phone, or iPad into your backyard and enjoy the cooler weather with your church friends over Zoom, using the link in the weekly email or in the journal.

Fall Education Plan

The Education team has been working hard on a plan for our kids at St. John’s this Fall (members, non-members, local families or families that live around the world...everyone is welcome!). As our services continue to be virtual, we will be offering virtual options for our Worship Center Classes, Bridge Class, and Confirmation Class.

Worship Center Classes and Bridge Class (Age 3-12 years)

1. Starting September 20, we will be posting worship center videos on our Families Facebook page weekly. These will be videos that follow the same format that we use for worship centers in the classroom and also follow the liturgy used during the service each week.

2. There will be a craft or worksheet to go with each video that the children can complete on their own time.

3. We will also be posting one song per month for the children to practice singing each week. Miss Amanda, will record a video of her (and her kiddos) singing the song and walking the kids though the motions. Then they can watch the video at their convenience each week to learn the song.

4. Also, we know our congregation loves seeing the faces of the little ones during our service so we have asked any children interested to sign up to be a liturgist for one of our virtual services. Please contact worship@stjohnussgr.org to sign up.

5. Lastly, we will have monthly Family Zoom times where we can play games together though zoom and possibly have break out sessions where the kids can chat in small groups. Watch the Families Facebook page for the details to these zoom times as well.

Confirmation Class (Ages 12 and above)

If you are interested in finishing confirmation (if you started last year and were unable to finish) or if you are interested in joining confirmation this year, please reach out to education@stjohnsuccgr.org. We have a plan to offer kids interested in confirmation this year that will be virtual and meaningful. We ask if you are interested in this option, to please reach out to the education team no later than September 13 so that we can finalize the details before the end of September.

Anti-Racism Additions

Starting in October, we plan to offer additional resources through our Families Facebook page regarding Ant-Racism. We hope that these will be meaningful for students and families to have those conversations and open up the hope for a truly anti-racist future in our country.

To join our Families Facebook page (if you have not already done so), please contact the Education team and we will get you added.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns or even if you are interested in helping out or being a part of our education programs.

We’re very excited that we can to continue to offer meaningful faith-filled curriculum to our children at St. Johns during this unprecedented time.

St. John’s Education Team
education@stjohnsuccgr.org

Wednesday, September 2, 2020: Food Truck

St, John's UCC is happy to announce the return of Food Truck this September.  We have formed a partnership with The Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church.  Our mission is to volunteer together to distribute food, relieving hunger and increasing food security in NW Grand Rapids.  COVID 19 has required accommodations to keep volunteers and recipients of food assistance safe.  The Food truck will be drive through only at a new location to promote traffic management. 

Location:

The Sudanese Grace Espiscopal Church
1550 Oswego N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Sep 2, 2020 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

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Picture of Backpacks and School Spaces

School is starting! No matter what that looks like for you and your family this year, we're asking you to send pictures of your kids (or teachers in your family) in their backpacks and/or in their learning space at home. We plan to use these pictures for our Blessing of the Backpacks virtual service on September 13 in which Pastor will bless all students and families for the upcoming school year.  Anyone can participate: members, non-members, teachers, preschoolers through adult students. Please send the pictures to education@stjohnsuccgr.org or post them on our St. John's Families Facebook Group (click here to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/2447950898850056/?ref=share) by Wednesday, September 9. 

Please note: These pictures will be shown in a public forum via our live stream church service.

An Update on our Response to Covid-19

St. John’s remains committed to following the guidance of public health officials in terms of when we might be able to resume in-person activities at church.  It is difficult to imagine that we will be able to go back to anything that looks and feels like our old normal until there is a vaccine and a cure for Covid-19, the pathogen that causes the Coronavirus.

This is both overwhelming and frustrating, but we have to hold on to hope in the midst of this challenging time and there is great reason to hope.  We have never seen scientists and doctors so united in their work and their efforts to address a challenge to humanity.  Nationalities and egos are being put aside as never before and professionals from every corner of the world are coming together to share information, insight, and progress toward treatments and a vaccine.  There are no fewer than 100 vaccines in development and countless treatments moving out of research and into testing.  Compared to responses to previous health crises, advances are being measured in terms of weeks and months as opposed to years.  We have honestly never seen such focus and speed in terms of progress.  Let us give thanks for the power of human ingenuity and the ways in which we see the creative power of God at work within it.  May we daily remember in our prayers all scientists and healthcare professionals who are offering their gifts and graces to this vital work.

While we live in hope of a breakthrough, we also continue to grow in our understanding of what it means to be the Church of Jesus Christ in this time and place.  We will continue to offer livestreaming worship as well as virtual Bible studies and small groups.  Reaching out to each other by phone, text message, email, video conferencing, and even snail mail will only grow in importance as we continue to move through this crisis.  As several have noted, the church isn’t closed.  Our building may be closed to group gatherings, but we are still the Body of Christ—risen, alive, and active in this world, called to love and serve even now, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to bring healing and wholeness to this world.

The administration team and council will continue to meet regularly to evaluate the situation and make appropriate decisions.  They have formed a task force that includes healthcare professionals to offer advice and guidance in terms of best practices based on the recommendations of both public health officials and denominational leaders.  We will reevaluate the situation at the end of August and provide another update then.  Our core conviction is to provide for the safety and well being of everyone during this time while continuing to be the Body of Christ.  If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Pastor Wes or a member of the church council.

Virtual Vacation Bible School

Virtual Vacation Bible School at St. John’s United Church of Christ will be happening during the month of July. There will be a live Zoom class every Wednesday in July (starting July 1) from 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT. The videos and activities will be posted on a private Facebook group as well in case the Zoom class doesn’t work for you.

This year St. John’s VBS will follow the story of Noah’s Ark. VBS will include Bible stories, crafts, activities, songs and much more.

Members and non-members are invited for this free, fun-filled month of Vacation Bible School. All children are welcome (the activities are geared towards Preschool-5th grade). Sign up here now https://stjohnsuccgr.org/join-us/vacation-bible-school

Also, please share with friends and family! Everyone is welcome!!

If you have any questions, please contact education@stjohnsuccgr.org