Save the Date for Holy Week

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Dear St. John’s Family,

This has been a heavy season. With so much injustice and uncertainty in the world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But one of the best ways to combat despair is through community—through coming together in faith, love, and action.

Holy Week invites us into a time of reflection, renewal, and resurrection. At St. John’s UCC, we believe in a faith that embraces everyone—no exceptions. Whether you’re seeking connection, healing, or simply a place to belong, we hope you’ll join us in walking this sacred journey together.

Experience Holy Week with us! Save the date for the following:

🌿 Palm Sunday | April 13, 2025 | In-Person & Online
Wave your palms and join us as we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.

🍞 Maundy Thursday - Living Last Supper | April 17, 2025 | 6:30 PM | In-Person
Join us for a simple soup supper followed by a powerful portrayal of the Last Supper, bringing da Vinci’s iconic scene to life with live actors and narration.

✝️ Easter Sunday | April 20, 2025 | 10:00 AM | In-Person & Online
Celebrate resurrection and renewal with an uplifting Easter service, followed by food and fellowship.

🥚 Easter Egg Hunt | April 20, 2025 | After Easter Service
A joyful event for kids to search for eggs and trade them for candy and prizes!

This season, we invite you to: 

✨ Show up for yourself and your community. 
✨ Invite a friend to experience the joy of St. John’s.
✨ Find renewal in a space that welcomes and uplifts you.

Holy Week is a time to be present for each other. Whether you’re feeling strong or need a little extra support, know that you are not alone. Let’s walk this journey together—we can’t wait to celebrate with you! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤

📍 St. John's UCC Grand Rapids
1934 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534

This Sunday, March 16, 2025

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

Please join us for in-person worship at 10:00 a.m.

If you are unable to join us in-person, please join the worship service on our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/worship-online at 10:00 a.m.

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 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 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.

Youth Bible Study

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

Children's Bulletin

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67d1aeb7c776680b9c38dd46/1741795000483/Children%27s+bulletin+03162025.pdf

Order of Service

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67d1ae9b2aba8524207f6d73/1741794972371/Order+of+Service+03162025.pdf

Weekly Devotional

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67d1aee0afad9561b1e267ce/1741795040666/Weekly+Devotional+03162025.pdf

Weekly Journal

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67d41e70275e7e32ce90b55c/1741954674397/Journal+03162025.pdf

A Celebration of Flowers

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Again this year the Worship Team is asking everyone to help beautify the chancel for our Easter celebration--and our grounds for the coming years. Teaming up with our dedicated gardeners, we are suggesting that people bring potted spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, that grow from bulbs, to place on and around the altar Easter morning.

After the service, you have your choice to take your flowers home,  or leave them at the church for the garden group to care for until the bulbs can be planted on the grounds, so that next year we can again enjoy your gift of flowers.

Just imagine how beautiful our grounds would be after a few years of adding Easter blooms to our already lovely gardens. Please consider being a part of this beautification project.

Today at 6:30 PM: Tuesday Friends Book Discussion Group

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Hello Friends, Enjoyed the sunshine today, with a great walk--cool but spring is coming!!!!  So we will continue our discussion of, "Tomorrow will be Different" Love, loss and the fight for Trans Equality, by Sarah McBride.  This Tuesday we will discuss Chapter 5, "The Political is personal" page 77 thru Chapter  7, "One step closer to justice"  Page 140.    Join when and if you can!!!!

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81217225850?pwd=LYruDLTmXSx5T4YiaRkxTbm52Pblr4.1

Meeting ID: 81217225850
Passcode: 913826

Dial by your location:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Location:

zoom
Mar 11, 2025 6:30 PM to 8:17 PM

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This Sunday, March 9, 2025

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

Please join us for in-person worship at 10:00 a.m.

If you are unable to join us in-person, please join the worship service on our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/worship-online at 10:00 a.m.

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 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 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.

Youth Bible Study

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

Children's Bulletin

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67c87fa4d5cdc34716c79547/1741193125066/Childrne%27s+bulletin+03092025.pdf

Order of Service

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67c87f87de8e01292419e952/1741193096753/Order+of+Service+03092025.pdf

Weekly Devotional

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67c87fbf9263f43f89beefec/1741193151420/Weekly+Devotional+03092025.pdf

Weekly Journal

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67cafd1a6bebe649606fc992/1741356315353/Journal+03092025.pdf

Today at 5 PM: Mobile Food Pantry

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Top of the morning to you!  On Wednesday March 5, 2025, St. John's UCC in partnership with Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church will host a drive thru Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry at 1550 Oswego NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.  Volunteers will gather at 5:00pm, distribution begins at 6:00 pm.  We are an equal opportunity provider.  Last month two records were broken with 557 individuals and 213 children receiving food at the Mobile Food Pantry.  Other statistics of clients receiving food include159 households, 81 seniors and 8 veterans.  A total of 21 dedicated volunteers braved cold weather and distributed 7,336 pounds of food.  Three new volunteers joined our volunteer crew.  Welcome to Mary Jo Deering, Travis and Shareece. Thank you for showing up during an artic blast!  Hats knitted by Carol Stechow were distributed and a small donation of surplus food was delivered to UCOM by Richard Johnston.  For more information about the Mobile Food Pantry, feel free to contact Teresa Markoski at 616-690-4566 or at tmarkoski2004@yahoo.com.  Financial support is always welcome by donating on the church app or by writing a personal check to St, John's United Church of Christ, 1934 Bridge Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.  It takes a village to feed our neighbors, together we serve.

Mobile Food Pantry Non-Discrimination Agreement 

Location:

The Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church
1550 Oswego NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Mar 5, 2025 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

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Today at 6:30 PM: Tuesday Friends Discussion

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Hello Friends,  We got a great start on our new book, : "Tomorrow Will Be Different", Love, Loss and the fight for Trans equality, by Sarah McBride.  Our next meeting, we  will start with chapter 2, on page 32 and the read through Chapter 5, page 96.  Notice our new name change!!!!  Enjoy the book and join us when you can.  If you need a book or have questions--contact Diana or Barb.  

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82061875200?pwd=7xTewgKl8kVx6PRPMpzhrgMIYblH59.1

Meeting ID: 82061875200
Passcode: 625849

Dial by your location:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Location:

zoom
Mar 4, 2025 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Add to my calendar

This Sunday, March 2, 2025

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

Please join us for in-person worship at 10:00 a.m.

If you are unable to join us in-person, please join the worship service on our website at https://stjohnsuccgr.org/worship-online at 10:00 a.m.

The greater Grand Rapids area is currently experiencing an increase in illness, especially Influenza-A. If you are not feeling well, please consider staying home and participating in the service online to prevent the spread of illness in our community.

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 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 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.

Youth Bible Study

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

Children's Bulletin

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67bf174ac4e94922fb9c2d2a/1740576586902/Children%27s+Bulletin+03022025.pdf

Order of Service

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67bf144660e53516ff8c1780/1740575815474/Order+of+Service+03022025.pdf

Weekly Devotional

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67bf1768f07ed8730feb9124/1740576616828/Weekly+Devotional+03022025.pdf

Weekly Journal

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51294ee7e4b03f854ee99725/t/67c1c06e78dcef28f617bf75/1740750959265/Journal+03022025.pdf

Wednesday, March 05, 2025: Mobile Food Pantry

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Top of the morning to you!  On Wednesday March 5, 2025, St. John's UCC in partnership with Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church will host a drive thru Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry at 1550 Oswego NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.  Volunteers will gather at 5:00pm, distribution begins at 6:00 pm.  We are an equal opportunity provider.  Last month two records were broken with 557 individuals and 213 children receiving food at the Mobile Food Pantry.  Other statistics of clients receiving food include159 households, 81 seniors and 8 veterans.  A total of 21 dedicated volunteers braved cold weather and distributed 7,336 pounds of food.  Three new volunteers joined our volunteer crew.  Welcome to Mary Jo Deering, Travis and Shareece. Thank you for showing up during an artic blast!  Hats knitted by Carol Stechow were distributed and a small donation of surplus food was delivered to UCOM by Richard Johnston.  For more information about the Mobile Food Pantry, feel free to contact Teresa Markoski at 616-690-4566 or at tmarkoski2004@yahoo.com.  Financial support is always welcome by donating on the church app or by writing a personal check to St, John's United Church of Christ, 1934 Bridge Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.  It takes a village to feed our neighbors, together we serve.

Mobile Food Pantry Non-Discrimination Agreement 

Location:

The Sudanese Grace Episcopal Church
1550 Oswego NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Mar 5, 2025 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Add to my calendar