A Newsletter concerning
the MISSION & MINISTRY of ST. John's Lutheran Church
________________________________________________________________
VOLUME XLVIII LA PORTE,
INDIANA / June, 2000 No. 5
JUNE IS THE MONTH FOR....
June is traditionally a month for graduations,
weddings, Father's Day, and the beginning of vacations. We
celebrate with all the graduates from our congregation whether
from college or university, high school or grade or middle school.
We pray for the Lord' s blessing on each of you as you go forward
either in furthering your education or in beginning your career.
We also pray for all those who will be married in
June. May God make your commitments to each other to be strong
and lasting.
We remember fathers this month and thank God for
the blessing given to us in having Christian fathers who trained
us in the Lord' s grace and love.
Finally, we pray for all those who are going on
vacation this month. We are thankful that there is time to have
recreation and time away from the hustle and bustle of life and
the workplace. But don't forget to take the Lord with you
wherever you go. Find a place to worship when you are away and
remember the Lord' s House here when you are home.
God expects that you will never graduate from his
Word and promise. He wants you to be wedded to Him and His love
forever. He is our everlasting, ever caring Father. He never
takes a vacation away from us. Enjoy your June and your summer!
FROM THE VOTERS
The second quarterly meeting of the Voters\rquote
Assembly was held May 4 at 7:00 p.m. in the school Cafeteria. The
meeting was called to order by Vice-President, Edward Brettin, Jr.
Pastor Schoop gave devotions based on I Timothy 1:2.
The minutes of the Feb. 9 meeting and Apr. 16
special meeting were read and approved. New voting members Diane
Wilzewski, Brett Schuelke, Kenneth and Cynthia Martin, June
Stigler, and Ricky Shortt were approved and welcomed to the
assembly.
Elections for a member of the trustees and three
members of the School Board were held. The results were: John
Wuggazer elected to the Board of Trustees and Kenneth Martin,
Diane Wilzewski, and Lori Foglesong elected to the School Board.
The Board of Trustees reported on the status of the school roofs.
There was no unfinished Business.
Pastor Schoop reported the following membership
changes: removed by their own request were Mr. & Mrs. William
Becker, Mr. & Mrs. Casey Meyer and family, Mr. Henry Snyder,
Jr.; transfers were sent for Mrs. Arthur Kemp to Immanuel Luth.
Church in Michigan City, IN, Mr. & Mrs. Brian Young and Mrs.
Karen Girard to Immanuel Luth. Church in Tracy, IN; transfers
were received for Mrs. Gaylon Liedtky and Sharon from St. Paul
Luth. in Denham, IN.
The school principal was not present for the
meeting but submitted a written report. There was no report from
the Church Council. The Treasurer, Jeffrey Scherer, presented a
written report showing a deficit in the General Fund of $134,256.58.
There were several announcements including:
Suppers 8 getting started again, the Seminar on the Christian
roles of men and women on May 12-13, and the Work Day on May 6.
Miss Julie Stelter, our 8 Grade Teacher, thanked the members of
the assembly for their prayers during her mother's recent stroke.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m. and closed
with prayer led by Pastor Ungrodt.
DISTRICT CONVENTION
The convention of the Indiana District of The
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, will be held in Ft. Wayne on June
23-24. Our congregation will be represented by Mark Jerndt, Lay
Delegate, and Pastor Schoop, Pastoral Delegate.
The main items of business to be considered are
elections of district officials and boards, possible new Bylaw
structures, and a discussion of the implications of fellowship on
the congregations of synod. Please pray for our church as we meet
in convention this June!
DON'T FORGET...
Because Ascension Day falls on a Thursday each
year, it is often forgotten or neglected. Some churches don't
even hold an Ascension Service anymore. But we do!
Our Ascension Service will be held on Thursday,
June 1, at 7:00 p.m. We always pray that there will be more
present than the 11 or so present at the first Ascension. Plan to
come and worship the Ascended Christ on June 1.
SCHOOL NEWS
Enrollment
St. John' s School is in the process of enrolling students
for the 2000-2001 school year. If you would like to receive
enrollment information, contact the School Office now (362-6692).
School Office Summer Hours
Summer hours for the School Office will begin Monday, June 19,
through Monday, July 31. The office will be open from 8:00-12:00
noon. During the week of July 10-14, the School Office will be
closed !
Important Dates
Mark your calendar for these important dates:
Aug. 17 Registration/Parent Info. Meeting - 1:00 p.m. OR 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 21 First Day of School - Half Day -dismiss 12:30 p.m.
NEW MEMBER DINNER
You are cordially invited to our New Member
Dinner on Sunday, July 16, from 12-2:00 p.m. in the school
Gymnasium. Come and join us in welcoming our new members and
enjoy delicious food and great fellowship for a few hours!
The meal (ham, red potatoes, green beans, salad,
dessert, refreshments) will be provided. Therefore, we need
reservations for all who plan to attend (including workers). RSVP
by calling one of the following people by July 10:
Monyean Hahn 362-8390
Trudy Roule 362-7452
Terry/Kathy Page 362-5903
Sherrill Lee 219-654-7313
Ellie Heidel 326-1866
We will receive a freewill offering to help
offset the cost of future dinners for this occasion. Hope to see
you all there!!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL SUPPLIES SCAVENGER
HUNT!
Vacation Bible School (V.B.S.) plans are well
underway! It would be of great assistance to us if you could take
a moment to participate in locating the following items to donate
or borrow for V.B.S. week.
Items to donate: paper grocery bags, cardboard
toilet paper rolls, water balloons, 20 cans of Silly String,
paper plates/cups, napkins/paper towels, antibacterial hand gel,
pantyhose legs only, disposable wipes, shopping bags w/handles,
wire coat hangers, black Sharpie markers, masking tape, cotton
balls, dry lima beans.
Items to borrow: director chairs, twin flat bed
sheets, camera tripods, sturdy large laundry baskets, your
teenage sons/daughters (this is our greatest need).
All items may be deposited in the V.B.S. Box
located inside near the school entrance. Please mark all items to
be returned with your name/phone number, except for your
teenagers, of course!! Monetary donations are greatly appreciate
and may be left at the Church Office. If you have questions, call
our V.B.S. Director, Christel Bublitz (325-0831).
WHAT'S NEW AT SUNDAY SCHOOL
We welcome the warm, spring weather because our
Gracious Lord provides it and we know that summer is close at
hand! Our summer program entitled, "Journey with Joshua,"
will begin June 11. Our Scripture verse is Joshua 1:9 which
states, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good
courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord
thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest." These
encouraging words will be the basis for our exciting adventure!
Just when you thought summer might become
boring\emdash the dig of a lifetime is coming your way! We hope
your children/grandchildren will join us as we journey with
Joshua through ancient Israel. Our expedition will take us to new
places as we dig down deep to discover ways God showed His love
and power in the book of Joshua and ways He shows His love and
power to us today. DIG IN...be part of the excitement!!
In May, we had two very special guests! Brett
Schuelke and Amanda Johnson shared song, video, and testimony
about their upcoming Mission Trips this summer to Nepal and New
Zealand, respectively. We hope that our younger children will be
inspired by these two "big kids" to someday go on a
Mission Trip of their own. Even if we never set foot on foreign
soil, there are many children and adults here in the U.S.A. that
need to hear of and understand the love and saving power of Jesus.
Please pray for our youth that they will be bold witnesses for
our Lord!
Perfect Attendance for April were: Rachel
Alexander, Alexander Kelsey, Lindsey Hull, Brooke Baima, Jenna
Marie Kalsow, Katrina Games, Emily Barnhart, Taylor Baima,
Victoria Kelsey, Sky Shortt, Valerie Swan, Jacob Barnhart, Larry
Keller, Nathan Alexander, Andrew Scherer, Aubrey Barnhart,
Kimberly Snyder, and Ian Doig. Congratulations to these students
and their parents. We appreciate your faithfulness!
Don't forget - our Savior will be represented at
the La Porte Co. Fair this July 7-22 at the Lutheran Laymen's
League booth, located in Commercial Bldg. #2. We will be happy to
sponsor the Fish Pond, giving away Christian witness items to
children. If you could help us by staffing the booth (2-hour
shifts), please contact Mrs. Melody Povlock (325-3049). Your help
is needed and appreciated!
Mrs. Felicia Menear, our Gr. 7-8 Sunday School
teacher, was recently Confirmed on May 7. We welcome her into our
church Family of God and pray God' s blessing upon her! She will
host a "Bake Sale" during the Parking Lot Sale at our
church on June 17. If you would like to help with the Bake Sale,
by contributing baked goods, please bring your baked goods (pre-priced)
to the Church Office on Friday, June 16. Thanks!
NEWS FROM DUNELAND LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL
The Duneland Lutheran High School will be
offering a strong college preparatory curriculum for the 2000-01
school year which will commence on Aug. 24. A fabulous All-Star
Teaching Staff has been assembled from highly experienced
teachers who have distinguished records in education in the
public, parochial high school, and university arenas of education!
English will be taught by a master teacher who is
a published author, served as a Language Arts Trainer for the
Portage Indiana schools in conjunction with the Indiana
Facilitator Center, and has conducted inservice training in
schools in the Midwest. Her emphasis will be in Language Arts,
Literature, Composition and Speech.
Spanish instruction, Physical Education, Art and
Computer Research will be taught by a teacher who has been a
Director of the Texas Head Start Program and has taught in
elementary/high schools. In addition to her background in the
above, she is certified as an Interior Designer and has a Medical
Assistant Diploma and a wealth of experience in the business
world.
Algebra/Geometry will be taught by a teacher
presently instructing at Purdue North Central in the areas of
Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Trigonometry. She has experience
teaching Mathematics in Jr. High School through the university
level.
Biology 1 and Advanced Placement Biology will be
taught by an instructor certified to teach Chemistry, Physics as
well as Biology in both Indiana and Michigan. He also has an
extensive background in business.
Instruction in World Geography and World History
will be led by a teacher who has taught in school corporations in
the Michigan City area. He has traveled extensively and will
bring this background to his classes.
We will continue with our exciting teaching staff
in next month's Newsletter.
CHURCH FLOWERS
In response to feedback from our members, the
cost of sponsoring our weekly church flowers has decreased to $40.
Sponsorship may be for one vase ($20) or both vases ($40). Please
continue to place your request and pay for the flowers at the
Church Office.
WORLD MISSIONS
Through our synod's World Mission, we are linked
to the world! In Papua, New Guinea, our volunteer Missionary,
Claudia Hansen, had a Kindergarten student named Victoria.
During music practice one day, the children were
singing a song with the words, "If you don't sing, if you
don't shout, if you don't lift up the name of the Lord, if you
don't praise His holy name, then the rocks and stones will cry
out." Victoria left the room for a moment and came back
holding a rock up to her ear! When her teacher asked if the rock
was crying, she answered, "No, we are praising God good!!"
REPORT OF FINANCE SECRETARY FOR APRIL
1999 Attendance - 2,604
2000 Attendance - 3,427
1999 General Fund receipts - $54,489.50
2000 General Fund receipts - $63,105.82
1999 Mission Fund receipts - $ 2,057.95
2000 Mission Fund receipts - $ 2,479.00
Church Budget Year to Date for 2000:
General Fund (short)...($92,419.21)
Mission Fund (short)...($ 1,877.16)
JUNE AT ST. JOHN'S
June 1 (Ascension) - "Gone But Not
Forgotten" (Ps. 47:5-6)
June 3 (8th Grade Graduation Service/Guest
Speaker) - "Bad News-Good News" (Acts 1:15-26)
June 10-11 (Pentecost-Prayer & Praise
Services) - "A Waste of Time?" (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
June 11 (Shut-in Service) - "Receiving
the Spirit" (John 7:37-39a)
June 17-18 - "God's a Father"
(Romans 8:14-17)
June 24-25 - Pastor Ungrodt
FROM THE CONGREGATION COORDINATOR FOR JUNE 2000:
If you would like more information on these topics, or others,
please contact me at (219) 362-3726, or e-mail me at stjohnsarc@csinet.net.
More information on many of these activities is also available
through our St. John's Web Site, at www.STJOHNS-LPIN.org.
Thank you! Debra Trowbridge
Pastor Schoop's 20th
Anniversary
We are celebrating Pastor Schoop's 20 years in the Ministry,
and 20 years as Pastor here at St. John's, on Sunday, June 11,
2000. There will be a reception in the school Cafeteria
from 9am to 10:15am. (Pastor Schoop's Bible Study will be
canceled for this event.)
Refreshments will be provided. There will be a box
available for those of you who wish to give Pastor Schoop a card,
or note, about how his presence here at St. John's has effected
you. There will also be a display of historic memorabilia
from St. John's on hand. All are invited!
Welcome Totebag Project
We are distributing 100 each of the following items for the
month of June:
- 100 God's Word to the Nations Devotion Booklets
- 100 St. John's Visitor Brochures
- 100 Day School Registration Brochures
- 100 Vacation Bible School Invitations
If you or your organization has time or ideas available for
this project, please contact me, or a member of the Board of
Missions and Evangelism.
Junior High Youth
The following events are available for any Junior High age
youth for the month of June:
- Sun, June 4 - Regular Activities & Devotion
- Sun, June 18 - 6th Grade Welcome
Party (All youth going into 6th Grade in the Fall
are invited to attend along with all youth who are going into
Grades 7 & 8)
If you are interested in helping the Junior High Program,
contact Junior High Youth Leader Scott Childress at 362-7170.
Senior High Youth
Senior High Youth, with help from the Junior High Youth, are co-sponsoring
a Parking Lot Sale & Car Wash on Saturday, June 17
from 8am to 2pm. You may rent a parking lot space to be part
of this group garage sale, by calling Al Vollmer at 778-4077
or 778-4393.
Lutheran Hour Ministries
The St. John's LHM Group has now made another program
available to the community! "This is the Life" re-runs
are now being shown on the LaPorte Public Access Cable Channel 43
on Sundays at 11am. We hope to add a more current program to
this channel sometime later this summer!
St. John's School Alumni
I am trying to put together a list of St. John's Day School
Alumni. Thanks to Mr. Orv Ulmer, we have a list of 41 years
worth of names, many of which I now need addresses and phone
numbers for.
If you would like to help with this project, or if you know
the address and phone number for someone who went to school here,
please let me know.
Family Fellowship Night & "Christian Roles"
Seminar
Thank you to the Board of Parish Fellowship for the
wonderful lasagna dinner on May 12th's Family
Fellowship Night! We also thank the Board of Parish Education
for the meals on Saturday during the "The Role of the
Christian in Society Today" seminar on May 13.
We had a group of 25 people attend each event, and all were
very pleased with the presentations from Rev. Robert Koch and Rev.
David Shadday. We had requests to have more events like this
in the future, which we plan to do!
Trustees Summer Work Projects
More help is needed to care for flowers, plants and lawn for
the summer months. By doing the work ourselves we are saving
the church budget thousands of dollars! If you are interested
in giving your time to the Lord in this way, contact me, or a
member of the Board of Trustees.
(End of St. John's E-Newsletter
Vol 1, No 1.)
(For information on attachments to paper Newsletter, or for any
comments or questions regarding this service, contact St.
John's Web Editor.)
