August 25, 2021

Confronting Racism Class TONIGHT at 7 pm

August 25, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Please join us TONIGHT, Wednesday, August 25, at 7:00 pm for our Confronting Racism class.
The class will meet for about an hour and focus on an orientation to Jemar Tisby's book How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice.

If you have not already purchased or borrowed the book, there's still time do so. We'll begin with Chapter One next week. You can order the book from Amazon or any bookseller.

There is no assigned reading for this week.

To join the discussion with any digital device, simply click here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84551334188?pwd=VDhxY3BsdC8yVmdtMVd3NUsyREg3UT09.

If you would rather just call in by phone, dial (312) 626-6799 and enter 845 5133 4188 when prompted for a meeting ID and then 947736 when prompted for a passcode.

Additional resources for the class are posted on our website under the "Confronting Racism Resources" section at the bottom of the front page of our website at www.stjohnsuccgr.org.

The class will normally meet at 7 pm, but moves to 8 pm on the first Wednesday of the month due to our mobile food pantry.

August 25, 2021

Join us for Evening Prayer and Fellowship tonight at 6:30!

August 25, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Join us tonight, Wednesday, August 25, via Zoom at 6:30 pm for a brief Service of Evening Prayer.
It's an opportunity to see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, and catch up with each other and 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?pwd=VDhxY3BsdC8yVmdtMVd3NUsyREg3UT09

If you'd prefer to call in, you may do so by dialing (312) 626 6799, entering 845 5133 4188 when prompted for a meeting ID, and 947736 when prompted for a passcode.

The liturgy for evening prayer can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1seQYmwZVa0PDM3LkIghjsch52L3vcpXE/view?usp=sharing

The Confronting Racism class will follow Evening Prayer at 7 pm and utilize the same Zoom link and meeting information.

Evening Prayer and Fellowship normally happens at 6:30 pm each Wednesday but moves to 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month due to our mobile Food Pantry.

August 25, 2021

Wednesday, September 01, 2021: Food Truck

August 25, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

This September marks the one year anniversary our Feeding America Mobile Pantry has been drive thru only in collaboration with The Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church. All are welcome, there is a task for everyone . Volunteers gather at 5PM, distribution begins at 6PM. Together, we will move 5,000 pounds of food with the goal of feeding 100 families. If you know anyone in need, send them our way. Feel free to contact Teresa Markoski @ tmarkoski2004@yahoo.com or at 616-690-4566 for further information. Donations are always welcome. Donations can be made on the church app under giving, designate funds to Food Truck . If you would like to write a personal check, the church address is St. John's UCC , 1934 Bridge Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49504. Please include Food truck in the memo. When action meets compassion lives change. Thank you for your continued support.

Location:

The Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church
1550 Oswego Street NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Sep 1, 2021 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

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August 24, 2021

Pandemic Response Update

August 24, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

The church council has received and unanimously approved the following statement and criteria from the pandemic task force concerning a return to in-person worship in the building:

The pandemic task force has considered the current guidance from public health officials as well as the rising number of cases in our community due to the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19 and has recommended to the church council that we continue to worship outside for as long as temperatures allow. Until vaccines are available for all ages and additional shots are available for the most vulnerable among us, it simply isn’t safe, even masked, to gather indoors for worship. Close contact, singing, passing the peace, and celebrating the sacraments inside would be high risk activities. Knowing that even vaccinated people can transmit the virus to others, these activities are simply too dangerous. It is absolutely imperative that we limit the spread of this disease and ease the pressure on our exhausted health systems.

The task force had identified the following metrics as a baseline for a return to in-person worship in the building:

the availability of vaccines for those of all ages,
a clear and steady decline of cases across the state and in Kent and Ottawa counties over a period of one month (with 1000 cases per day statewide as a benchmark for counting),
and a declining positivity rate of four percent (4 %) or less in both Kent and Ottawa counties.

These metrics are based on recommendations from the CDC and other public health entities. The pandemic task force will continue to meet regularly and evaluate the best data and guidance available to us from trusted sources. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the task force by email at pandemic@stjohnsuccgr.org.

August 21, 2021

This Sunday, August 22, 2021

August 21, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Dear St. John's Family,

Welcome to Sunday morning! This is the day that God has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!

We are so grateful to be able to gather for worship in-person outdoors at the church this morning at 10 am! Please plain to join us!

Masks will be required for those who attend in-person, regardless of vaccination status, as a way of keeping the most vulnerable among us safe. (Remember, those under 12 cannot yet be vaccinated yet and are increasingly more vulnerable to the disease, as are those who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons and those who have certain preexisting conditions.)

Participants are asked to bring their favorite folding chair, sunscreen, and an umbrella (to provide shade from the sun and in case of inclement weather).

Holy Communion will be offered using prepackaged elements.

We will continue livestreaming the service for those unable to attend in-person services. To celebrate Holy Communion, please have some bread or a cracker and some juice or wine (whatever you have will work and God will be OK with it). To participate, you may watch via our Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsuccgr/,

via our YouTube channel at

http://alturl.com/etrte,

or watch on our website at

https://stjohnsuccgr.org/.

We'll gather after worship for a time of fellowship in person at the church and by Zoom conference. To join with any digital device, simply click here

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/192123229?pwd=Z203SlNXWmRmdnFFWDg4RlltZlVqdz09

If you would rather just call in by phone, dial (253) 215-8782

and enter 192 123 229 when prompted for a meeting ID

and 730577 when prompted for a passcode.

There are links below this message to the order of service, the weekly Journal, a children's bulletin for the week's lectionary readings, a youth Bible Study, an Adult Bible Study, and a devotional guide for the week. Please share these resources with your family and friends and know that we are joined together across any distances or difficulties that might separate us.

Our weekly Bible Study class that normally meets on Sunday mornings at 9 am is on hiatus for the summer and will resume in the fall.

We are able to provide all of these wonderful services because of your continuing generosity and support. If you are able to give to support our ministries, please so do. You can make a donation or set up regular giving by clicking here: http://www.stjohnsuccgr.org/give. You can also simply mail your check to the church.

St. John’s UCC
1934 Bridge ST NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in supporting St. John's.

Let us continue to hold each other and the entire world close to our hearts and to the heart of God in prayer.

With love and hope,

Pastor Wes

Sunday Bible Study
https://stjohnsuccgr.org/s/Daily_Discipleship_Pentecost_August_21-August_27_Year_B.pdf

Youth Bible Study
https://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/

Children's Activity Sheet
https://stjohnsuccgr.org/s/Pentecost-13-to_whom_shall_we_go_bulletin.pdf

Weekly Journal
https://stjohnsuccgr.org/s/Journal-08222021.pdf

Order of Service
https://stjohnsuccgr.org/s/Leaders-Guide-to-the-Liturgy-for-the-Thirteenth-Sunday-after-Pentecost-Year-B-August-22-2021.pdf

Weekly Devotional
https://stjohnsuccgr.org/s/46TimeAfterPentecostLec21YearB.pdf

August 18, 2021

Join us for Evening Prayer and Fellowship tonight at 6:30!

August 18, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Join us tonight, Wednesday, August 18, via Zoom at 6:30 pm for a brief Service of Evening Prayer.
It's an opportunity to see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, and catch up with each other
and 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?pwd=VDhxY3BsdC8yVmdtMVd3NUsyREg3UT09

If you'd prefer to call in, you may do so by dialing (312) 626 6799, entering 845 5133 4188 when prompted for a meeting ID, and 947736 when prompted for a passcode.

The liturgy for evening prayer can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gQGJHfc7E9epBqRz7_mAl0JFWknnsLpl/view?usp=sharing

Evening Prayer and Fellowship normally happens at 6:30 pm each Wednesday but moves to 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month due to our mobile Food Pantry.

August 14, 2021

This Sunday, August 15, 2021

August 14, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Dear St. John's Family,

Welcome to Sunday morning! This is the day that God has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!
We are so excited to return to in-person worship outdoors at the church this morning at 10 am! Please plain to join us!

Participants are asked to bring their favorite folding chair, sunscreen, and an umbrella (to provide shade from the sun and in case of inclement weather).

Holy Communion will be offered using prepackaged elements.

We will not immediately resume offering refreshments after service, but plan to do so as we become more comfortable.

If all goes well, we will continue with outdoor services through July and August and hope to return to in-person worship in the sanctuary around September 12. These plans are tentative and we ask for your patience and flexibility as we move forward with our regathering process.

We will continue livestreaming the service for those not yet ready to return to in-person services. To celebrate Holy Communion, please have some bread or a cracker and some juice (whatever you have will work and God will be OK with it). To participate, you can watch via our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsuccgr/, via our YouTube channel at http://alturl.com/etrte,
or watch on our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/.

We'll gather after worship for a time of fellowship in person at the church and by Zoom conference. To join with any digital device, simply click here https://us02web.zoom.us/j/192123229?pwd=Z203SlNXWmRmdnFFWDg4RlltZlVqdz09

If you would rather just call in by phone, dial (253) 215-8782 and enter 192 123 229 when prompted for a meeting ID and 730577 when prompted for a passcode.

There are links below this message to the order of service, the weekly Journal, a children's bulletin for the week's lectionary readings, a youth Bible Study, an Adult Bible Study, and a devotional guide for the week. Please share these resources with your family and friends and know that we are joined together across any distances or difficulties that might separate us.

Our weekly Bible Study class that normally meets on Sunday mornings at 9 am will take a break during the month of July and return on Sunday, August 1, at 8:45 am in-person at church. There will be an option to participate by Zoom for those who aren’t ready to return to in-person.

We are able to provide all of these wonderful services because of your continuing generosity and support. This is a difficult time for many, but if you are able to give to support our ministries, please so do. You can make a donation or set up regular giving by clicking here: http://www.stjohnsuccgr.org/give. You can also simply mail your check to the church.

St. John’s UCC
1934 Bridge ST NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in supporting St. John's. Let us continue to hold each other and the entire world close to our hearts and to the heart of God in prayer.

With love and hope,
Pastor Wes

August 11, 2021

Join us for Evening Prayer and Fellowship tonight at 6:30!

August 11, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Join us tonight, Wednesday, August 11, via Zoom at 6:30 pm for a brief Service of Evening Prayer.
It's an opportunity to see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, and catch up with each other
and 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?pwd=VDhxY3BsdC8yVmdtMVd3NUsyREg3UT09

If you'd prefer to call in, you may do so by dialing (312) 626 6799, entering 845 5133 4188 when prompted for a meeting ID, and 947736 when prompted for a passcode.

The liturgy for evening prayer can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RqfBEjMki2XByGhPXSxDVfzwD8FCu7o1/view?usp=sharing

Evening Prayer and Fellowship normally happens at 6:30 pm each Wednesday but moves to 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month due to our mobile Food Pantry.

August 07, 2021

This Sunday, August 8, 2021

August 07, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Dear St. John's Family,

Participants are asked to bring their favorite folding chair, sunscreen, and an umbrella (to provide shade from the sun and in case of inclement weather).

Holy Communion will be offered using prepackaged elements.

We will not immediately resume offering refreshments after service, but plan to do so as we become more comfortable.

We will continue livestreaming the service for those not yet ready to return to in-person services. To celebrate Holy Communion, please have some bread or a cracker and some juice (whatever you have will work and God will be OK with it). To participate, you can watch via our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnsuccgr/, via our YouTube channel at http://alturl.com/etrte, or watch on our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/.

We'll gather after worship for a time of fellowship in person at the church and by Zoom conference. To join with any digital device, simply click here
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/192123229?pwd=Z203SlNXWmRmdnFFWDg4RlltZlVqdz09

If you would rather just call in by phone, dial (253) 215-8782 and enter 192 123 229 when prompted for a meeting ID and 730577 when prompted for a passcode.

St. John’s UCC
1934 Bridge ST NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in supporting St. John's.
Let us continue to hold each other and the entire world close to our hearts and to the heart of God in prayer.

With love and hope,
Pastor Wes

August 04, 2021

Join us for Evening Prayer and Fellowship tonight at 7:30!

August 04, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Join us tonight, Wednesday, August 4, via Zoom at 7:30 pm for a brief Service of Evening Prayer.
It's an opportunity to see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, and catch up with each other
and 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?pwd=VDhxY3BsdC8yVmdtMVd3NUsyREg3UT09

If you'd prefer to call in, you may do so by dialing (312) 626 6799, entering 845 5133 4188 when prompted for a meeting ID, and 947736 when prompted for a passcode.

The liturgy for evening prayer can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vO8scJTsxmaPMRJt8szNO_Ek8mV1_FOm/view?usp=sharing

Evening Prayer and Fellowship normally happens at 6:30 pm each Wednesday but moves to 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month due to our mobile Food Pantry.