Welcome! A hearty greeting to our visitors and guests! Our epistle text speaks to immorality in our generation, especially to the rampant sexual immorality in our age. Yet, we as Christians have been washed by the blood of Jesus to lead lives that glorify God in the earthly temples of our bodies. May God protect you from impurity as you unite with him in body, mind and spirit.

The first potluck meeting of the new year for St. John’s Seniors will be held in the school cafeteria at 11:30 am on Wednesday, January 18, 2006, All senior members of St. John’s are cordially invited to attend. Please bring a covered dish to share and your own table service.

The Youth Group is now meeting every other Wednesday evening in the Youth Room. Meetings are from 6-7 pm and include Bible Study and a planning session for monthly events. All St. John’s Youth of high school age are invited to participate. Please bring your Bible and a friend!

All youth group members are urged to show up at 9 am on Saturday, January 21, to help paint the Youth Room. If you have any questions, please contact Youth Leader, Kristi Georgi.

The next meeting of the Family Circle will be January 25 at 6 pm in the church lower level.

The Evening Circle has Pecans, Chocolate Covered Pecans and

Chocolate Covered Pecan Caramel Clusters for sale. They are just $7.00 a bag. For more information, call Deana Murray at 362-8084.

The 5:30 Monday & Thursday classes have been cancelled until further notice.

 Any boards or individuals wishing to submit items for the February Newsletter, should have them in the church office by 4 pm on January 16. Thank you!

Auction Items:

 Anyone having auction items for the Lily event may drop them off in the church lower level between Sunday Services from now through the end of the month. If you have any questions or need to arrange a different time for drop off or pick up, please call Julie Sinclair at 326-0558

Tickets: Tickets are available from members of all boards and the school and church offices.

Contribution statements for 2005 are now ready for pick up. They will be available in the Narthex before and after all weekend services and in the church office throughout the week.

Contribution envelopes for 2006 are available in the church lower level.

“Sowing Seeds” envelopes are available in the church office.

We need your help! Please make sure to put your NAME and your NEW ENVELOPE NUMBER on the outside of your “Sowing Seeds” envelopes. With a new year starting, and most people having new envelope numbers, we want to make sure all pledges are credited to the correct account. We also want to remind you that the new 2006 offering envelopes are available in the church basement. Thank You!

Due to popular demand (praise God!) by those who work during the week, we will beginning a Thursday evening Bible study for those who can’t get to Sunday morning Bible study or the other morning Bible studies that we have throughout the week. Beginning Thursday evening, January 26^th, a Bible study will begin, led by Luke Vandercar. The first topic will be a Biblical study of marriage. The Bible fellowship will begin at 7:00 pm in the Youth Room and run to 8:30 pm.

NOTE: young children are welcome! There will be things for them to play with while we get gather. For further information, please contact the church office.

It is amazing that the Lord has given us 70 years of proclaiming the Gospel message through music at the Civic Auditorium. We have truly been blessed and pray that so has the community. Yet, many things our world have changed. It is time for the music dept. to make a change as well. The choir, pastors, and I have discussed and prayed in length about the change we feel that Lord is leading us to make…In December of 2006 the 73^rd Annual Walther League Christmas Concert will NOT be held in the La Porte Civic Auditorium. Instead, we share the gift of Christmas music in our sanctuary. We hope and pray that this will be a new ministry to both our community and our church family. There will also be other changes that will be announced at another date. We ask for your prayers and support while we work through this transition. Thank you and God’s Blessings, Matt Nelson

The choir is in need of some storage place for the acoustical shell used in our concert. If you may have some space in a pole barn or shed, please contact Matt Nelson at 380-9030.

Hand bells: We have a great need for more hand bell ringers. Minimal musical ability is needed. We meet on Wednesday evenings for about one hour. If you are interested, please call Matt at 380-9030.

 Along with Every Member Sunday and Adult Confirmation, January 29 is also the date for Officer and Board Member dedication and rededication. All board members and church officers are asked to attend this dedication.

Banner Committee:

 The Banner Committee will meet at 8 am, Saturday, January 21 in the 4th grade classroom.

Circle 7 made donations to the Altar Guild, General Fund and to the School Heating & Cooling Fund.

Helen L. Smith has made a donation to the School Heating & Cooling Fund in loving memory of her husband, Roy V. Smith, whose death date was January 14.

Landa, Roland and Todd Hamilton and family have made a donation to the School Heating & Cooling Fund in loving memory of Roy V. Smith, father, grandfather and great grandfather, whose death date was January 14.

Dave and Carol Jelke and family have made a donation to the School Heating and Cooling Fund in loving memory of her father, Roy V. Smith, whose death date was January 14.

Pastor: Rev. David M. Young

Pastor: Rev. Ronald A. Brauer

Organist: Susan Rosselli

Director of Music Matt Nelson

Altar Guild: Ruby Stephansen, Marilyn Boardman, Dorothy Levandoski

Elders on Duty: 7:00 PM: Mark Jerndt, Jim Peters

8:00 AM: Roger Schuster, Mark Jerndt

10:45 AM: Paul Tibbs

The flowers on the Altar this weekend were sponsored by Kenneth Hanson in memory of his deceased loved ones.

PRAYERS ARE REQUESTED FOR

(Omitted from online version.)