St. John Lutheran Church November 2018________________________________________________________________________

Church Office: 563-242-5588Pastor Dan Pool: 321-6757, home

e-mail: dpool@stjohn-clinton-ia.orgWeb Site: www.stjohn-clinton-ia.org

________________________________________________________________________

Sunday Services in November

November 4: All Saints DayNovember 11: 25th Sunday after PentecostNovember 18: Stewardship SundayNovember 25: Last Sunday of the Church Year

Pastor Pool’s Sunday Bible StudyPsalms Our Sunday Morning Bible Study has just begun a new look at the Old Testament Psalter. The Psalms teach us how to pray. They remind us of the nature of life. They point us to the life to come in Jesus. Join us as we explore this beautiful collection

of 150 hymns, poems, and prayers. Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

November 4: Psalm 8: A Psalm of CreationNovember 11: Psalm 19: The Word of GodNovember 18: Psalm 30: Individual Thanksgiving

November 25: Psalm 20: The Messiah

Genesis Bible Study with Pastor

Our Tuesday Bible study is exploring Genesis verse by verse. We normally meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. in classroom 1 or the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome. Bring your Bible.

November 6: Genesis 4: Cain and Abel

November 20: Genesis 5-6: Prelude to the Flood

Higher Things Mark your calendars for our Summer Higher Things Youth Conference, July 16-19, 2019 at Concordia University Wisconsin. This is for confirmed young people. Registration forms are available in the Fellowship Hall and are due by November 18. $100 will hold your registration. Talk to Pastor if you have any questions.

Operation Christmas ChildThis year for our Mission Festival Project, we are participating as a congregation in Operation Christmas Child. This is a chance for our congregation to share the Gospel and help children across the world with a Christmas gift to meet their basic needs. Boxes and brochures are now available for you to pick up. $9 covers shipping for each box. Checks should be made out to Operation Christmas Child and included in the box. Shipping and tracking for your box are available on their website. See the brochure in the Fellowship Hall for information. Our goal is to fill 200 boxes. Everything is due at Church by November 4. We will be dedicating these boxes

during the service and invite you to bring them up front before service. Discipleship and PietyThis fall we have been focusing on themes of discipleship. In the Bible, the outside world calls us Christians (Acts 11:26). Jesus seeks out and calls His followers disciples. And so we are—learners and followers of Jesus Christ.

This is the business of the Church. This is the business of the home. We have been given the task of disciple making. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

In September, we addressed some of the various pious habits of discipleship. Disciples gather regularly around the Word and Sacraments. Disciples spend time in God’s Word every day. Disciples are generous to the Church and neighbors in need. Disciples confess our faith in our families and in our world. And finally, we looked at our responses to grace in thanks, praise, service, and obedience.

Disciples experience growth in grace, in piety, and in obedience (2 Thessalonians 1:3). We chip off the old edges of worldliness. We shape our thinking, our habits, and our holidays by the Word of God. We anticipate and prepare for Sunday worship. We get to know the Scriptures and sound theology.

My question this month is this: Where do you have room to grow? Have you been in the same spiritual place for a very long time? What habits are you cultivating to ensure growth?

Growth is found in Jesus Christ. He is the one who gives us increase in godliness and piety. As St. Paul says in Philippians 1, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

But this is also a process in which we are deeply involved. When Jesus calls us to follow Him, we must respond. We get up and follow. And this means growth. My prayer for you is this, “Grow

in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”Pastor

Board of EldersThe Board of Elders will meet on Monday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Board of TrusteesThe Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m.

Board of StewardshipThe Board of Stewardship will meet on Monday, November 19

at 6:00 p.m.

Board of Education

The Board of Education will meet on Monday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Board of Evangelism

The Board of Evangelism will meet on Tuesday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m.

Voters’ Assembly

Board Meetings

Our Voters’ Assembly will meet on Monday, November 26 at 7:30 p.m. All are invited to the Voters’ Assembly. Come and get involved in the work of the Church.

Thanksgiving Food DriveWe are receiving Thanksgiving food items in the hallways by classroom 1 to give to families connected with our congregation who are in need. Please bring canned fruits and vegetables, stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, boxed desserts, etc. We are hoping to put together 10 baskets. Let the office know if you would like to receive a basket. This drive is sponsored by the Board of Evangelism.

Thanksgiving PotluckOur Church Potluck Thanksgiving Meal is Sunday, November 11 after Late Service (approximately 11:30). The Board of Evangelism will be preparing turkey, gravy, and drinks. We ask that you bring a dish or two to share including mashed potatoes, stuffing, salads, rolls, desserts, etc. We look forward to celebrating our thankfulness to God who gives us all good things.

Coming Soon: Scrip FundraiserThe Board of Education is looking into a new fundraiser for our preschool called Scrip. Through Scrip, we raise money for our preschool in places we already shop. Scrip permits us to buy gift cards for places like Walmart, Jewel, Amazon, gas stations, and restaurants. These organizations then make a donation back to our preschool. The typical donation can vary from 2-16%. This means no money out of pocket for us as individuals or as an organization, and yet we can still raise extra funds for our school. Pastor’s

Sunday Bible class is going to try this in November and soon we will make it available to our congregation and preschool families.

Advent: What Child Is This? Mark your calendars now for our Wednesday Advent Services beginning December 5. Services are each Wednesday at 1:30 and 7:00 p.m. leading up to the celebration of the incarnation of Christ on Christmas Day. We will have Advent Devotions available soon. Will you join us for a few quiet moments in this busy season to behold the true light that has come into the world?

Deaconess TrainingEmily Pool has started her studies in the Deaconess Program at Concordia Theological Seminary. We have the opportunity to

support her preparation for full-time Church work with our gifts to the scholarship fund. Mark your offering envelope "scholarship fund" if you would like to help.

Food Pantry Collection November 4Donations of nonperishable food items,

paper, and soap products may be brought to the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, November 5, for the food pantry collection at the Victory Center. These items will be distributed to the unemployed of the community.

Mary MarthaThe Mary Martha meeting will be Tuesday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall. The Bible study will be led by Pastor Pool. The 2019 altar duties sign-up sheets will be available. Sallie Pool and Carol Stuedemann will serve as hostesses. All ladies are invited to attend.

TIME CHANGE NOVEMBER 4

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 4.

Mary Martha at Pizza RanchMary Martha will be working at Pizza Ranch on Monday, December 10 from 5-8 p.m. They will receive 10% of all proceeds for that evening plus all of the tips. Please plan to come to Pizza Ranch and support our Mary Martha group.

Quilts for Lutheran World ReliefThe Quilting Bee will meet on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 9:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall to make quilts for Lutheran World Relief. All ladies are invited to help us!

HospitalizationPlease be sure to mention St. John Lutheran Church if you are admitted at Mercy Medical Center, Clinton. Your pastor wants to visit you when you’re hospitalized, but the only sure way for him to know is for you or a family member to call the church office, 242-5588. If you would like pastor to visit, but not have your name announced on Sunday, your request will be honored.

Ladies AidLadies Aid will hold its regular monthly meeting on Friday, November 2 at 1:30 p.m. All ladies of the congregation are

invited. Plans for the Christmas meeting will be discussed. Please join us! Hostesses will be Jan Peters and Claudia Schenk.

Youth Catechesis

Youth Catechesis meets every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Youth Catechesis will meet every Wednesday September – April, except when the public school schedules vacation or closes school because of bad weather.

Adult ChoirThe Adult Choir practices every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Consider joining us for regular weekly practices, where we will be learning new hymns and taking a stab at chanting the Psalms for Sunday Service.

Do you shop at Amazon.com?AmazonSmile will make a donation to St. John each time you make a purchase. Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/42-6005460 to register your account. After registering your Amazon account, start each purchase at smile.amazon.com.

Are you a Snowbird?If you are planning to be gone over the winter months, please contact the church office and get Camil Dell your temporary address information. We will make sure to send you the monthly newsletter while you are away and will also mail your bulletins every few weeks.

Facebook

Did you know the Church has a Facebook page? You can like us on Facebook at St. John Lutheran Church, Clinton.

Check It Out In Our Church Library

THE FORGOTTEN ROADBy

Richard Evans(Fiction)

Chicago celebrity and successful pitchman Charles James is supposed to be dead. Everyone believes he was killed in a fiery plane crash. But thanks to a remarkable twist of fate, he’s very much alive.

THE ROMANTIC RATIONALISTEdited by John Piper & David Mathis

(God, life and Imagination in the Work of C.S. Lewis)

C.S. Lewis stands as one of the most influential Christians of the twentieth century. This volume explores the man, his work, and his legacy, reveling in the truth at the heart of Lewis’ spiritual genius. God alone is the answer to our deepest longings and the source of our unending joy.

SERMONS IN THE LIBRARY

If you have missed a Sunday or two of church, you will find past copies of Pastor’s sermons on the checkout table in the library. Please help yourself.

Altar FlowersThe new 2019 altar flower sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the narthex. Flowers may be placed on the altar on any Sunday except during Lent. This may be done in memory of someone, commemorating a birthday or anniversary, or as a service of love. Please contact the church office, 242-5588, by Thursday at Noon with your altar flower bulletin announcement, the florist who will be delivering the flowers, and whether or not you would like to keep the altar flowers after service or have them delivered to the sick or shut-in members of the congregation.

The Fellowship ClubThe Fellowship Club will be collecting UN-wrapped toys and gifts for hospitalized University of Iowa children for Christmas. Changes were made, NO wrapping or labeling of the gifts is wanted.  Please place your gifts near the office by December 7th.  

Clinton Lutheran HourRadio Broadcast

The Clinton Lutheran Hour has been coming into people’s homes, through KROS Radio broadcasts, since 1950.

For those who are shut-ins or are unable to come to church, this is a wonderful way to hear God’s word, through Pastor Pool, and be a part of the worship service.

The Radio Mission League sponsors these broadcasts each Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. on KROS 1340 AM or 105.9 FM. Donations made from St. John congregation make this possible.

Would you like to assure the continuance of these broadcasts with a donation? A broadcast may be sponsored for a specific Sunday for $35.00 by contacting Janice Wheelock, 321-4536.

Darlene Paysen records our services each week, Jeff Niebuhr is our announcer, Janice Wheelock schedules the broadcasts, and Sharon Brown is the treasurer.

November Birthdays & Anniversaries

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S !

Happy Birthday to: Darlene Shadle, who will be 87 on November 4.Marvel Jackson, who will be 98 on November 6.Ruth Johnson, who will be 92 on November 7.Norma Hammer, who will be 86 on November 13.

Robert Hill, who will be 87 on November 14. George Struve, who will be 90 on November 22. Gene Niebuhr, who will be 92 on November 24.

Marian Enwright, who will be 90 on November 28. Luella Anderson, who will be 93 on November 29.

We list birthdays 80 and above and anniversaries for year one and every five years thereafter unless we receive a request not to do so.

Private Communion CallsPastor Pool makes his visits to those in nursing homes throughout the month. Those at home who would like to receive a Communion visit are asked to call Pastor at the Church Office, 242-5588, to schedule a convenient time.

THOSE WHO SERVE IN NOVEMBER

Early Late

Elders: Rick Eizenga Elders: David Becker Bill Ross Jim Schnitzmeyer

Ushers: Brent Pladna Ushers: Wayne Becker Gary Lueders Keith Doucette Jon Meyerman Dakota Ebensberger Craig Miller

Nursery Attendants (Late) Acolyte Schedule4 – Tara Sirna 4-Early-Sam Reynolds11 – Heather Becker 4- Late- Hunter Holesinger18 – Barb Bialas25 – Sandy Bovis 11-Early- Carver Lange

11-Late- ElderRecording 4 – Darlene Paysen 18-Early-Nolan Lange11 – Darlene Paysen 18-Late- Elijah Mueller18 – Darlene Paysen25 – Darlene Paysen 25-Early-Drew Steiner

25-Late- Elder

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: NOV. 20If you would like to put any information in the December newsletter, contact Camil Dell, and get her the information by November 20.