(All sermons by Rev. Karl Koch unless otherwise noted.)

Sat, Oct. 5 - Blended Worship Service - 7 pm

Sun, Oct. 6 - Traditional Worship Service - 8 am - Communion

(Music by Walther League Chorus)

- Modern Worship Service - 10:45 am - in Gym

(Music led by the St. John’s Praise Team)

Sat, Oct. 12 - Blended Worship Service - 7 pm - Communion

Sun, Oct. 13 - Traditional Worship Service - 8 am

- Modern Worship Service - 10:45 am - Communion

(Music led by the St. John’s Praise Team) - in Gym

- Handicapped Accessible Service - 2:30 pm - Communion

Sat, Oct. 19—Blended Worship Service - 7 pm -

Sun, Oct. 20 - Traditional Worship Service - 8 am - Communion

(Music by Walther League Chorus)

- Modern Worship Service - 10:45 am - in Gym

(Music led by the St. John’s Praise Team)

Sat., Oct. 26—Blended Worship Service - 7 pm - Communion

Sun, Oct. 27—Traditional Worship Service - 8 am

- Modern Worship Service - 10:45 am - Communion

(Music led by the St. John’s Praise Team) - in Gym

Sat, Nov. 2 - Blended Worship Service - 7 pm

Sun, Nov. 3 - Traditional Worship Service - 8 am - Communion

(Music by Walther League Chorus)

- Modern Worship Service - 10:45 am - in Gym

(Music led by the St. John’s Praise Team)

9/29 School family Bowl-a-thon sponsored by Student Council

12-2:00pm

9/30 Box top 4 Ed begins – Mrs. Stacy Tharp is leading this

10/1 Teacher In-Service…NLSA 11:35 bus dismissal

10/4 Orchard trip grade 2; Autumn Harvest grade 3…

Chesterton Indiana Dunes

10/9 La Porte Symphony: grades K-2 leave at 9:05 via bus for

9:30 concert; grades 3-8 leave at 12:20 for 12:45 concert

10/16 Muffins for Moms 7:00

10/30 Doughnuts for Dads 7:00

*Parent teacher conferences will be 10/23 in the evening and on 10/24 during the day. No school on the 24^th or 25^th.

*Student Council has been established. Members are: grade 5-Zach Ulmer and Nick Rissler; grade 6 - Sami Williams, Ashley Glassman, Angela Shelby; grade 7 Sarah Johnson and Caitlin Wippich; grade 8 Jarod Maginot, Sarah Chlebek, Karen Eigenmann.

*The Student Yearbook is being corrected at the printers.

*Staff members will hopefully be wearing picture I.D. badges soon, courtesy of the SCHOOL PICTURE COMPANY.

*A new fire alarm system is being installed in the school.

Current enrollment as of 9/6/02 is 158 students in pre-school through grade 8…last year’s enrollment was 158 at this time, too.

Bowl-a-thon: Proceeds from this student council event will go

to help purchase a van with a lift for the Life Care Center of Michigan City. Bowling is $1.25 per game per person; no charge for shoe rental; maximum of 144 bowlers. This activity is for all school families (including grandparents, etc.). Family reservation forms that were sent home should be returned to your teacher as soon as possible so you can pick up a pledge sheet. One reservation sheet needed per family.

Pizza Hut “Fun”draiser Program to help raise money for 7^th and 8^th grade Washington D.C. trip. (See details in the School Board news section of this newsletter.)

Athletics Report: Fall sports includes girls gr 5/6 VB and gr 7/8 VB. We also have a coed soccer team. VB is coached by Miss Stelter and soccer is being coached by Pastor Koch!

IMPORTANT:

Mrs. Hoard, our 7^th grade teacher is on indefinite disability due to pregnancy complications. She is experiencing a spontaneous leakage of spinal fluid into her system, which is causing restrictions of blood flow in areas of her brain. This is secondary to dangerous blood pressure measurements when sitting or standing. Please pray for her safety and the safety of the child through the course of her pregnancy!

The faculty continues to read through the Bible in morning devotions. As of Monday 9/16, we are in Genesis 45 and 46. The question of the day is: Why did Joseph make Jacob move instead of sending him money and provisions? Joseph wanted to see his father Jacob before he died. Given Joseph’s responsibilities in Egypt, it was unlikely he could visit his father. He also must have sensed that Jacob had given him up for dead. His father would not believe Joseph was truly alive unless he saw his son with his own eyes.

St. John’s pipe organ in the church is in need of major repairs. The latest estimate on repair costs is a maximum of $25,000. Most of the repairs in the past were done in house, but many items were left unattended. Now we cannot put them off any longer or we will cause major damage to the organ. Given our current financial status, we cannot afford to make the repairs.

Since enough funds were not received to repair the organ by September 30th, we are no longer able to use the pipe organ until such time as we can afford to fix it. If you would like to donate, please mark a pew envelope “pipe organ fund”. If you would like more information, contact Director of Music Ministries, Matt Nelson, at 219-362-7317.

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The next regular meeting of St. John’s Church Council is Tuesday, October 22 at 7 p.m. in the School Music Room. All Church Boards should have both of their representatives in attendance with a report from their board on their activities for the last quarter. (Except the Board of Elders, which have seven members in attendance.)

The next regular meeting of the Voter’s Assembly will be two weeks later on Wednesday, November 6, at 7 p.m. in the School Cafeteria. Any confirmed St. John’s members who are over the age of 18 years who wish to be voting members, should read the Constitution and By-Laws and attend this meeting to become a voting member.

2001 Total Attendance - 1,500 2002 Total Attendance - 1,475

2001 General Fund-$44,031.36 2002 General Fund-$35,889.28

2001 Building Fund—N/A 2002 Building Fund—$1,294.00

2001 Mission Fund - $273.00 2002 Mission Fund—$514.00

2001 Scholarship Fd-$1,275.20 2002 Scholarship Fd-$1323.30

St. John’s offers worship and Bible study for Hearing Impaired members of our congregation and the surrounding communities. On the 2nd Saturday of each month we have a CITI (Church Interpreter Training Institute at Ft. Wayne Seminary) certified Interpreter for the Deaf signing at the 7 p.m. worship service.

On the 4th Saturday of each month at 6 p.m. we have a Bible Study with an Interpreter for the Hearing Impaired in the School Ladies Lounge. Both hearing and Deaf members are invited to attend this study by Indiana Missionary for the Deaf, Rev. Jerry Munz. We are currently studying the book of Genesis. For more information on our ministry programs for the hearing impaired, contact Congregation Coordinator, Debra Trowbridge, at (219) 362-3726 or e-mail debratrowbridge@stjohns-lpin.org.

The ministry of Deacon Angon was chosen by St. John’s Congregation at the August Voter’s meeting to be our newest ministry supported by your Mission Fund envelope donations. Tomas’ full name (as used in Mexico) is Jose Tomas Angon-Reyes. He is 38 years old and was born in the southern State of Mexico, called Oaxaca. Once he arrived in the United States he married Paula, in California. They have four children - three girls and one boy. Two of the children were born in California and the others in Valparaiso, IN, where he now resides.

Seven years ago Tomas and Paula got to know the Lutheran Church through their pastor and brother in Christ, Rev. Samuel Ruiz and his family. This happened in Valparaiso, IN, in a home Bible Study class. After two years of learning the Lutheran Doctrine, he became involved with Theological Education through the Hispanic Institute of Theology at Concordia University at River Forest, IL. This program is an enlargement from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and is designed to train Latinos to become workers in our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Right now, he is in the pre-seminary level, going to St. Louis every two months.

He was commissioned by the District through Rev. Ruiz as Deacon of Gloria Dei Hispanic Mission in Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1700 Monticello, Valparaiso, Indiana. He has been Deacon there for two years, and also serves as advisory Deacon for the Hispanic Ministry at St. John’s Lutheran church, La Porte, working with Congregation Coordinator, Debra Trowbridge, and the Friend-to-Friend Ministry volunteers on an E-S-L program and an English-Spanish Bible Study.

The Hispanic Ministry of Tomas Angon joins our other two Church Mission projects: Duneland Lutheran High School in Michigan City and the Pregnancy Assistance Center of La Porte. Please don’t forget our mission projects in your weekly giving!

We are still in need of contributions to purchase Jesus Videos. For only $7.00, you can bring the Good News of Jesus into someone’s home.

If you would like to donate towards this effort either monetarily or with your time, please contact Tracy Fronk by calling 574-654-3957, or email hoosierbuck@aol.com. Contributions may also be placed in the Sunday offering by using the special “Jesus Video” envelope, the weekly contributions envelope, or a pew envelope marked “Jesus Videos”. Thank you!

Please notice that there are post-cards available in the church narthex and in the pews along with the regular pew pad attendance sheets. These were designed for our visitors to fill out and return either in church the day of their visit, or they can mail them back to us.

If you know there is a visitor seated near you during a worship service, please encourage him/her to fill out the card. Visitors

The 2003 St. John’s Pictorial Directory is coming along! We are in the process of finishing taking photos of boards and organizations, and we are laying out the final pages for the directory. We plan to have the book done in time to hand out directories right after the first of the year.

St. John’s Lutheran Hour Ministries group is helping to sponsor another Parish Media Team Event Level One for the La Porte area on Saturday, October 26 (probably at the Ramada Inn, La Porte. LHM headquarters is working out the details and they will be put in the next Newsletter.)

This seminar on media and resources helps church members learn how to: promote their ministries, how to make a good newsletter, how to use newspapers, radio, internet, etc., and how to think like a visitor when doing marketing, making signs, etc.

If you are interested in participating, contact St. John’s Lutheran Hour Ministries Ambassador Debra Trowbridge at 219-362-3726 or 574-654-7815 or debratrowbridge@stjohns-lpin.org.

* “Woman to Woman” - Sundays at 7:30 a.m. on WLOI 1540 AM

* “The Lutheran Hour” - Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WLOI 1540 AM

(right before St. John’s Worship Service Broadcast at 11 a.m.)

* “On Main Street” - Sundays at Noon on La Porte Cable Ch. 43

* Project Connect booklets (racks in the Narthex and School)

If you would like to donate toward the continuance of these important outreach ministries, please use a pew envelope and mark it “St. John’s Lutheran Hour Ministries (or LHM)”.

St. John’s School Board has set aside money to do some landscaping around the school. All of the school children are going to participate in cleaning up and planting plants around the school. If you have any plants that you will soon be dividing, and would like to donate them to the school, let us know as soon as possible. If you have design knowledge and would like to help or have donations, (plants or monetary) please call School Board Chairman Annette Williams at 326-8017.

Did you know there is a way to give money to the school just by using everyday products, like cereal, cake mixes, and bread dough? It’s called “Boxtops 4 Education”. On hundreds of items found in your grocery store, there is the Boxtops for Education symbol. All you have to do is cut it out, and drop it in the box in the School Office, or send it to school with your child. The school earns 10 cents for every box top. Last year we earned over $300! Our goal this year is to double that number. We will be having an all school contest starting at the end of September, so start clipping those coupons!

In an effort to establish a perpetual fund raiser for future Grade 7 & 8 spring school excursions...whether to Washington D.C. or to some other venue, St. John’s Lutheran School will be participating in the Pizza Hut “Fun”draiser Program. This program will begin shortly and hopefully will be entrenched as a year round, year to year, fund generator activity specific to the aforementioned excursions for as long as Pizza Hut Incorporated offers the program.

This only applies to Pizza Huts in the City of La Porte...with the phone number 362-3000 for ordering.

The next “Fun”draiser dates for this year are: Wed, October 16, Tuesday, November 19 and Tuesday, December 17 (All from 4 to 11 p.m.)

Food baskets are delivered to St. John’s needy families monthly. If you know a member in need, call Nancy Winn (324-9221), Rich or Renee Rutz (362-7896), Deanna Murray (362-8084), or Suzanne Howell (326-8694).

The Board of Stewardship “GROW” Group’s Fall Stewardship Campaign will take place at all Bible Studies and Worship Services beginning September 29 . It will culminate on Loyalty Sunday, November 3rd. All members are expected to attend a Bible Study and weekly worship services to learn God’s plan for your life and for this congregation.

The Board of Trustees recommended that a Building Committee be formed to continue the work of “Project 2000 and Beyond”. The Board of Trustees, Board of Stewardship and the School Board are working together on the Financial Planning Com-

mittee for 2003. A budget for the 2003 year will be presented at the October 22 Church Council meeting and November 6th Voter’s meeting. -12-

When Lola Tarnow first organized the Newspaper Stuffers in October 1982, there has been a group of members coming every Monday morning. A few months later, the every other Saturday group was started. Over the years, the names on the list have changed, but one thing remained - these members were dedicated, hard working people. Thank you for giving your time to this endeavor!

From October 1982 to December 2001, a total of $166, 293.52 was given to the Church, School, various organizations and projects. We are still contributing to these, but alas all good things end. Sometime between December 2002 and March 2003 the La Porte Herald-Argus will be installing equipment that will do the stuffing. Until that happens, we will be there every Monday morning and on our Saturdays doing our ‘stuffing”. - Karen Piper for the Newspaper Stuffers

October events for the Junior & Senior High Youth are:

Sept. 29 - Volleyball, refreshments & Bible study

Oct. 6 - Human Knot Game, refreshments & Bible study

Oct. 13 - Red Rover, refreshments & Bible study

Oct. 20 - Basketball, refreshments & Bible study

Oct. 27 - Capture the Flag, refreshments & Bible study

Nov. 1-3 - Chicago Trip to Acquire the Fire

St. John’s Youth Board is now taking applications for Junior High Youth Advisors. Applicants must be communicant members of St. John’s, 21 years of age or older. Assistant Youth Leaders may

be 18 years of age or older. For more information, contact Youth Board Chairman, Julie Childress, at (219) 785-4232.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has produced “Celebrating the Musical Heritage of the Lutheran Church”, a scholarly compilation of five CDs, an interactive CD-ROM and a 50-page booklet documenting our musical Lutheran heritage.

The La Porte Family YMCA is announcing this year’s program for local churches and their groups to enjoy the YMCA and its facilities at a very low rental rate on Saturday nights throughout the winter months. The YMCA Church Night Program begins Nov. 3rd and continues though March 30th. The YMCA will give your organization use of two gyms for volleyball and basketball, balls, nets, the swimming pool with a lifeguard and assorted pool toys, and the member lounge. Groups need to arrive between 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. on Saturday night and depart between 7:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

It is time again to start or renew your subscription to the Lutheran Witness for the year 2003. The Lutheran Witness is the magazine of the Lutheran church - Missouri Synod, brining the news of the LCMS right to your front door!

From reports on U.S. government legislation to features on evolution, the Lutheran Witness addresses the news and issues that affect your life, with a Lutheran perspective. It makes a great gift for college students, friends and relatives for Christmas. The full Indiana District News can be found in the center of each issue. Cost of a one year subscription is $11.00. For more information, contact the Church Office.

This workshop is open to all LCMS members and is held at Grace Lutheran Church, Dyer, IN on Saturday, October 5, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (This will not duplicate the District Evangelism Conference.) Hear the keynote address “That By All possible Means We Might Save Some” by Dr. James Boldt, retired executive with the LCMS. Then choose two of the following topics: “Relationship Evangelism, “Activation of the Inactives”, Family Life in the 21st Century”, ‘Stewardship”, “Faithful to the Word Yet Flexible in Changing Times”, “Growing By Being a ‘Sending Church’”. Registration fee of $15 covers workshop and a hot catered lunch (Turn in to Church Office by Monday).

Senior High Youth Indiana District

Sr. High Youth Rally for the Indiana District takes place in Indianapolis November 8-10. Registration takes place August 31 to October 5th. (Please register early - limit of 500). Theme is “Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus” - Heb. 12:2.

Please send names, school attending, and home addresses of your college students to:

The information will be distributed to our various campuses and contact pastors, so that they can invite students to worship. If you have campus addresses of students, send those too -- but it’s not necessary.