November 20, 2021

This Sunday, November 21, 2021

November 20, 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!

While we are deeply grateful for the four months of wonderful outdoor worship we enjoyed this summer and fall, the weather has now turned too cold to gather in person outdoors for worship on Sundays and our positivity rates and hospitalizations remain far above the guidelines adopted by our pandemic task force for a return to in-person worship in the sanctuary. Therefore, we have returned to virtual worship services. A small team of worship leaders (pastor, music director, liturgist, cantor, and tech) will broadcast the service from the sanctuary via our website, Facebook, and YouTube. Please plan to participate from the comfort and warmth of home and know that as soon as it’s truly safe to do so, we’ll return to in-person worship together in the sanctuary.

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 via our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/ .

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.

We will resume after worship fellowship by Zoom immediately following the worship service. You can join from any digital device by clicking this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/192123229?pwd=Z203SlNXWmRmdnFFWDg4RlltZlVqdz09

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://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/6197a17cbcaff666d8751312/1637327228986/Sunday+Bible+Study+11212021.pdf

Youth Bible Study

https://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/

Children's Activity Sheet

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/6197a1adc96d2e6519815363/1637327277921/children%27s+bulletin+11212021.pdf

Weekly Journal

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/6197d61e1ad4714330f9c129/1637340704348/Journal+11212021.pdf

Order of Service

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/6197a1f86877e325b8618c75/1637327355050/Order+of+Service+11212021.pdf

Weekly Devotional

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/618e800f83e6fc75816d8d1b/1636728847832/weekly+devotion+11142021.pdf

November 19, 2021

Farewell To Pastor Wes

November 19, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Please join us for a Farewell Drive Thru at St John's UCC. Pastor Wes is leaving St John's and going back to the east coast. We want to give you a chance to say farewell. Sunday, December 5th, between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, you can drive thru the portico on the front of the church. Stop under the portico, stay in your car, and safely say goodbye to Pastor Wes Jamison.

November 18, 2021

Welcoming New Neighbors!

November 18, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids welcomes our involvement as they prepare to welcome refugee families who have been granted asylum to the Grand Rapids area over the coming months. Some of these families will be arriving quite soon!

If you would like to contribute to Bethany Christian’s mission, there are several good ways to do so. You may donate household items needed by incoming families or make a monetary donation. You may assist in the welcome extended to these families by purchasing items from the Bethany Christian Amazon Wishlist or by purchasing and donating gift cards from Visa, Target, Walmart or Meijer for BCS refugee families’ use. Here is the link https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/115UJEV2QR59F/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex. Please note that there are markings for what is highest priority to buy.

BCS has a number of informative webpages – see Support Refugees and Immigrants | Bethany and Refugee and Immigrant Resettlement | Bethany

In this season of giving, this is one way to reach out to new members of our community.

November 17, 2021

Learn more about Feeding America

November 17, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Tonight, Wednesday, November 17, at 7:00 pm via Zoom, we’ll welcome Shay Kovacs, program manager with Feeding America West Michigan, to tell us more about Feeding America’s programs and how we can support them. Shay will give us more insight behind the scenes into what it takes to make our mobile food pantry happen, including the sources of the food we receive.

Be sure to join us and invite a friend!

To join with any digital device, simply click this link:

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

If you would prefer to call in, simply dial 312.626.6799 and when prompted for a Meeting ID enter 845 5133 4188 and when prompted for a passcode enter 947736.

November 17, 2021

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

November 17, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Join us tonight, Wednesday, November 17, 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/1xAnQ0PeAddpoBaqsccCgEEJKu-TiPD7t/view?usp=sharing

The special presentation from Feeding America 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.

November 13, 2021

This Sunday, November 14, 2021

November 13, 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!

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://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/618e7e8930242f1a052fab68/1636728457797/Sunday+Bible+study+11142021.pdf

Youth Bible Study

https://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/

Children's Activity Sheet

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/618e7ebec777b7472062c4f5/1636728511208/Children%27s+bulletins+11142021.pdf

Weekly Journal

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/618ea3ce4c8c1647e913f553/1636738000055/Journal+11142021.pdf

Order of Service

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/618e7f46e2549d0915d47c56/1636728648322/order+of+Service+11142021.pdf

Weekly Devotional

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/618e800f83e6fc75816d8d1b/1636728847832/weekly+devotion+11142021.pdf

November 10, 2021

Confronting Racism Class TONIGHT at 7 pm

November 10, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Please join us TONIGHT, Wednesday, November 10, at 7:00 pm for our Confronting Racism class.
The class will meet for about an hour and focus on Chapter Nine of Jemar Tisby's book How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice.

Please read Chapter Nine in preparation for tonight's session.

The between session journal pages are posted here:

https://stjohnsuccgr.org/s/JP-Session-9.pdf

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.

November 10, 2021

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

November 10, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Join us tonight, Wednesday, November 10, 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/1tJ7wWc7Vj1GqyRvFWyQN9T6mE3KVZH2Z/view?usp=sharing

The Confronting Racism class will follow Evening Prayer at 8 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.

November 09, 2021

Christmas "Pageant"

November 09, 2021/ St Johns United Church of Christ

Plans are underway for the Christmas "Pageant" this year. Miss. Becky will be recording the Christmas story (from a very unique perspective) and we will be intermixing the story with recordings of songs from families. So, what do we need from you?

Sign up for a song below. If you have a favorite, grab it now by signing up today.
I will send you the music played by Joel Gary
You can be dressed up in your Sunday best or in costume as angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, Wisemen, etc. Remember we had lots of costume ideas last year that you could make at home. Reach out to the education team if you need some ideas.
Take a video of your kiddos and/or your family singing the song (while listening to Joel's recording of the music). Make sure the recording is landscape.
Send the video recording to Tarah Tiedt no later than December 12.
The "pageant" will be shown during the service on December 19.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to education@stjohnsuccgr.org with any questions.

We can't wait to see this all come together this year.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090449A9A82AA02-christmas

November 06, 2021

This Sunday, November 7, 2021

November 06, 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!

While we are deeply grateful for the four months of wonderful outdoor worship we enjoyed this summer and fall, the weather has now turned too cold to gather in person outdoors for worship on Sundays and our positivity rates and hospitalizations remain far above the guidelines adopted by our pandemic task force for a return to in-person worship in the sanctuary. Therefore, starting this Sunday, November 7, we will return to virtual worship services. A small team of worship leaders (pastor, music director, liturgist, cantor, and tech) will broadcast the service from the sanctuary via our website, Facebook, and YouTube. Please plan to participate from the comfort and warmth of home and know that as soon as it’s truly safe to do so, we’ll return to in-person worship together in the sanctuary.

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 via our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/ .

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.

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://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/6185379f167c7323ffac5d9e/1636120479162/Sunday+Bible+Study+11072021.pdf

Youth Bible Study

https://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/

Children's Activity Sheet

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/618537d57695212749a9b97e/1636120533925/Children%27s+bulletin+11072021.pdf