Easter joy and greetings to you in the name of the One who is, "and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:4-5)! I do hope that you were blessed by the Lenten services and Easter Celebration, and that the joy we exploded with on Easter morning is continuing to fill your heart throughout this season of Easter in our church year.

This May is a triumphant and monumental month for St. John’s. First, we will celebrate the Confirmation of 13 young men and women into the fellowship of St. John’s as they publicly make their confession of faith in the teachings and practices of St. John’s on Sunday, May 2^nd at 10:00AM. We will be having only ONE worship service that morning, so that all who worship and fellowship at St. John’s would be able to participate in helping these young people REMAIN in their commitment to serve and grow in our congregation. We are just as responsible for their growth in their faith by providing a loving and nurturing worship community for them as we support them in their Christian walk.

The next monumental event will be held on Sunday May 16^th. We will be celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Dedication of our Church Building. 50 wonderful years of faithful service and worship in our building is quite an accomplishment. But the 50^th anniversary is only half of the celebration. This worship service will also be our NEW MEMBER SUNDAY, where we will welcome our new members and families into the congregation as we serve each other together in Easter joy! Again, we invite you to join in the fellowship of this commemoration, and we will be having only ONE service on Sunday May 16^th at 10:00AM, as well, so that we may all together enjoy a fellowship meal at NOON in the gymnasium, with a time of festivities and music, as we celebrate our past, and welcome our future as we meet and greet our new members and their families!

God knows His plans for St. John’s, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” says the Lord in Jeremiah 29:11. A call committee has been put together to call an Associate Pastor to service and minister to you at St. John’s. Jesus tells us that “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” If you take a look around St. John’s, you will see and notice how very true that is. We are growing, and in that growth, we must continue to be faithful in our worship and ministry to our members. We have tried unsuccessfully to address these needs, and believe that the Holy Spirit is leading us to this commitment to service.

But it takes you, St. John’s; you who are faithful in service and sacrifice; you who are faithful in word and deed; you who have been gifted with talents and treasures to further the kingdom so that the greater gift of eternal life and forgiveness can be proclaimed to this dying world. We need to preach a crucified and resurrected Jesus to family and friends so that none may perish, but that all may have eternal life! We need to use and share those gifts of Word and Sacrament that Christ has given to us to strengthen our faith and love toward God and toward one another. Now is the time.

This May is a triumphant and monumental month for St. John’s. If for no other reason, it is a month to rejoice in the victory of Christ’s triumph over sin, Satan and the grave for you and me. May this May be a May of blessing to you, and may the Spirit of Christ manifest richly in your hearts and lives.

Your fellow servant in Christ Jesus,

Principal’s Page-May 2004
Greetings to you from St. John's Lutheran School, the people who work here and from the students who attend. We are rapidly closing another school year. We celebrate: the blessings the Lord has showered upon us...the opportunity to learn more about Him...the opportunity to further ourselves academically...the opportunity to grow spiritually, physically,
emotionally...with the "Sword of the Spirit" that is the Word of God.

Thank you...
We thank all the people who helped coordinate the latest F.A.N. Sock Hop on 4/16. Thanks to Nicole Schuster and Diane Wilzczewski for planning the event. Thanks to Annette Williams for her assistance, thanks to Dawn Crum and Sharon Butler for preparing the Diner food. Thanks to Matt Schuster and
Shaun Snyder for providing the music...

I. Calendar of events:
4/22 Earth Day assembly in gym 10:00
4/29 1/2 day in service...buses at 11:35
5/1 Academic Bowl..8:00 a m to noon
5/2 Confirmation 10:00 service
5/5 Midterm 4th quarter..reports due
5/6 Mobile Education presents an assembly on animals of the wild.
5/20 Spring Play-.performances at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm. free will donation
5/28 Kindergarten graduation at 7:00 pm in gym
6/2 Pre kindergarten graduation 6:30 pm in gym
6/4 Last day of school 1/2 day-no bus in morning or at 12:30 dismissal
6/5 Grade 8 graduation at 7:00 Service. Rev. Del Wippich guest speaker

II. CURRENT ENROLLMENT

As of 4/19/04 it is at 167 compared to 162 at this time last year.

III. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
1. Our spring play..."Sermon on the Mound" will be presented by the
children of St. John's Lutheran School at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm on May 20 in
our gym. There is no prescribed cost to attend...we ask only a free will
donation to support our music program. Our theme this year is "Suit Up
With the Spirit...Put on the Armor of God!" Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Hoeppner
found this play, and by what I have grown to call "The Coincidence of God,"
He has provided us with the perfect culminating connection.

Following is the Foreword offered by the author, Celeste Clydesdale....
Millions of Americans have become recent baseball fans, and I am one of
them. What an extraordinary time in baseball history. And since I really
don't believe in "luck," may I be so bold to say that God Himself has His
hand in the timing of this musical.

I have finally been able to diagnose myself as having the same speech
problem as baseball's Yogi Berra--"If you come to a fork in the road, take
it." I know what I want to say, but sometimes it comes out twisted. For
quite some time it has been my desire to write about the importance for

believers to put on the armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18) The baseball
uniform correlated perfectly--then the musical seemed to take shape.

I Matthew, chapters four and five, we see that Jesus spent forty days and
nights in the desert, praying and being tempted by Satan. He defeated Satan
by standing firm and responding with the very Word of God. After these
victories, He began His public ministry by teaching the Sermon on the Mount, and teaching us how to pray.

Our "Head Coach" is the Lord. We are the team (His church), encouraging one another and uniting our hearts to stand firm in this spiritual battlefield.
We need to take time out to train and pray before we can be effective
Christians in this world. Every one of God's children needs to know the
incredible value of hiding God's Word in their hearts. How else can we
possibly put on the he "Helmet of Salvation," hold up our "Shield of Faith,"
and be ready to respond at the appropriate times with the "Sword of the
Spirit'?

The Lord is coming soon. Through "Sermon on the Mound!' I pray that God will use the baseball analogy to help our children see the battle that is
reality--is your armor on?

2. 5/1/04... Academic bowl will include grades 4 and 5 from Lutheran
Schools in Northwest Indiana. This takes place in the school from 8-12:00.

3. We continue to collect empty copier and computer cartridges. Please do
not box up the cartridges as we have to take them out and re-box them, of
course do what you need to do to keep from getting dirty. The last box of
returns netted us $119.00. This money is placed in the tech fund to
support our new workstations in the classrooms.

4. A note from "Target Stores:" If you designate St. John's Lutheran
School as your "SCHOOL OF CHOICE," TARGET will donate a percentage of your purchases to our school. It is an easy way for people to get involved, and it really works! We did receive a check for $27.71 on behalf of this program...that we weren't aware we could do. Now that we know...please participate if you can.

5. Thrivent will continue to match donations. This year $24 million

dollars has been set aside as matching funds. We encourage you to donate

up to $400 to our school...$200 will be matched by Thrivent. Imagine if we
collect $10,000 in donations...that brings us an additional $5,000! If you
have an account with Thrivent and are financially able...please help out our
ministry by making a donation to our school. Forms are available at the
school office.

6. The Student Council sponsored a Spirit Wear shirt sale recently.. Over
180 shirts and sweatshirts were sold. Thanks to Mrs. Bremer in grade 6 for
coordinating this project.

7. Pizza Hut fund raiser coming up is Wednesday, May 19th. Remember, we receive 20% of the take for that evening.

8. We are enrolling students exhibiting Christian Character and sound
academics. Do you know anyone seeking an alternative to the public school setting? Are you a member of St. John's Lutheran Church and have kids attending the public schools? Give us a call at 362-6692 for a tour and an interview.

My name is Karla Eigenmann and I have taught kindergarten at St. John’s Lutheran School for the past 13 years. I attended Ball State University and Purdue University North Central. I have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I am also working with the online colloquy program, which would enable me to become a called teacher.

I am married to Bryon Eigenmann and we have four children Danielle, Karen, Regan and Gene. My two older children were blessed to have the opportunity to graduate from St, John’s. My husband and I are owners of La Porte County Realty, which we opened in October of 2000. I am also a member of La Porte Service League. During the summer I work with other members of the Service League at Poppin in the Park, which is held at Fox Park on Wednesday nights all summer long. La Porte City bands, and other guest bands, give free concerts for the community.

This year was a big year for kindergarten in that this is the first year we have had all day kindergarten. We have had a great year and are looking forward to end of the year activities. We will soon be working on our graduation program. This year’s program is entitled Down by the Creek Bank. We will present this on May 28 at 7:00 pm.

From the Board of Stewardship Dear Brothers and Sisters of St. John’s,

In His Service, The Board of Stewardship

Board of Missions and Evangelism (Women’s Care Center)

The following article contains highlights of a letter from the Women’s Care Center (formerly the Pregnancy Assistance Center).

Her face brightened into a smile as she watched her tiny baby kicking and moving on the ultra sound screen. This nineteen year old woman got so excited seeing her baby’s face and clenched fists, at that moment she found the courage to choose life for her developing baby.

Like this young woman, more than 95% of the women served at the Women’s Care Center choose life after seeing their babies on the ultra sound screen. What a blessing that machine has been!

Since moving to the Maple Avenue location, the WCC is serving 30% more women than a year ago. During April and May nearly 400 are expected to be helped at the center.

The center can certainly use the prayers and donations of our congregation. For further information call the center at 324-4646 or Monyean Hahn at 362-8390.

From Thrivent/Market Day

To benefit Rio and Mike Light, and help defray excessive medical expenses over the past year, Market Day is donating the profits of their April and May sales. Thrivent will provide supplemental funds.

If you wish to make a donation in addition to the Market Day program, you may donate cash or checks to the school or church offices. Checks should be made payable to Thrivent.

From Deaconess Julie Heck Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When I visited, I appreciated your hospitality. I greatly enjoyed the time that I spent with you. I pray that our Lord continues to guide and strengthen you with his word and sacraments. May His blessing be upon you as you grow in the knowledge of your baptismal faith and serve your community. Serving you in Christ, Deaconess Julie Heck

From Lindsey Gonzales Greetings to my St. John’s Family,

Lindsey Gonzales

If you would like to serve during worship as an usher or greeter, please contact the church office at 362-3726.

We are thankful for those who serve their church in this capacity! There is always room for more friendly faces and helping hands!

Confirmation Sunday is May 2, at 10:00AM. Our catechism graduates will be publicly confirming their faith as they join the confirmed membership of St. John’s. A special worship service will held at 10:00AM, and therefore, next Sunday, there will only be ONE WORSHIP SERVICE. If you so desire, you may worship Saturday evening, May 1, at our 7:00 PM worship service. We invite you to join in this celebratory service and this very important event in the history of our congregation!

The Catechism Graduates are:

KALI LIGHT

The Annual Mother and Daughter Dessert is coming up on May 5, at 6:30 PM in the school gym. The theme this year is “ALOHA”. Tickets are on sale now from any circle member or in the church office. Tickets are $3.00 for adults and $1.50 for children 12 and under.

New Members Sunday & Church Building Rededication is May 16, 2004, at 10:00 AM. Come join us for our 50^th Anniversary and New Member Welcome Celebrations. A special service will be held at 10:00 AM, therefore there will only be one service that day. There will be a welcome dinner in the gym immediately following the service

Let’s Celebrate

When: Sunday, May 16, 2004

Where: St. John’s Lutheran School Gymnasium