Ladies, please join us for book club on Friday, January 15 at 7:00 PM in the school conference room. This month, we're discussing My Name is Resolute by Nancy Turner. Also, mark next month's date and book on your calendar: Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder on Friday, February 19 at 7:00 PM. Hope to see you at book club!

The next four-week Interactive Faith online Bible study will begin on Wednesday, January 13 at 6:00 PM or 8:00 PM (Central Time). The studies have 10 to 15 minutes of lecture by the instructor, followed by 5 to 10 minutes for participants to discuss a question or two or do further study. Pastor Gary Pufahl, chairman of WELS Adult Discipleship and pastor at Christ, Big Bend, Wis., will lead the study on Wednesdays from January 13 to February 3. The theme of the study is “Who is your God, for whom you live?” Click here to learn more or to join the study.

Materials for Pastor Kyle Bitter's "Christian Freedom" Bible class are now available online. Look for class handouts and PowerPoints, weekly summaries of the chapters being studied in Galatians, and supplemental materials. Click here for class materials. For more information on all St. John's Bible studies, please click here.

On Sunday, January 24th, a special "State of the Church" presentation in the Fellowship Hall will replace the 9:15 AM Bible class as we look back on blessings of the past and ahead to plans for the future. Following the late service, a fellowship lunch will be served beginning at 11:45 AM. Food and beverages will be provided. Menu is to be determined. A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the Lau Tuition Assistance program. To RSVP for the lunch, please sign up in the narthex or click here.

The WELS Annual Report describes the scope and nature of what God has privileged us to do together in his name. It’s a mission and ministry that begins in each congregation, touches the communities in which our congregations are located, fans out to cities and towns across North America, and crosses oceans to mission fields around the world. View the Annual Report at wels.net/annualreport.

Our church body has taken steps to initiate the production of our next hymnal, a successor to the well-received Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal. News and updates on this project can be found at www.welshymnal.com. For the most recent update from Project Director Rev. Michael Schultz, please click here.

The January Council Project is the WELS "One in Christ" debt retirement program. This program is designed to eliminate the synod debt of approximately $4.7 million. If successful, the "One in Christ" campaign will put our synod in a better financial position to continue the ministry of training workers and establishing missions at home and abroad. Please consider making a contribution to this fund by using your green Above & Beyond envelope and checking “Council Project” or “One in Christ.” Checks should be made payable to St. John's. Your support will be included on your contribution statement. Thank you for sharing your blessings!

The flower calendar for 2016 has been posted on the bulletin board in the narthex.  If you would like to mark an anniversary or remember a loved one, please sign-up for the specific Sunday you’d prefer.  Flowers may be picked up after the late service.  Checks should be made out to “St. John’s Altar Guild” and payment in advance would be appreciated. 

In conjunction with several St. John's ministry partners, a number of travel opportunities are being planned for the upcoming months. Keep reading for destinations and more information...

Tour the Holy Land with Dr. John Brug, retired WLS professor with a doctorate in archaeology, and special musical guest, Koine, from April 11 to 20, 2016. The trip, hosted by Pastor Rick Tuttle, will include a special worship experience on the Sea of Galilee and a concert by Koine at the Amphitheater in the city of Jaffa that will be advertised by the local tourism board and open to the public. To register, visit RegisterNow.ittworld.com and use Tour code Tuttle16. For more information, email pastortuttle@gmail.com.

A tour of China, hosted by Dan and Carol Koelpin, is being planned for October of 2016. The 15-day tour will begin around October 13 and will include some of the most visited attractions in China plus a trip down the Yangtze River. For details, pick up information from the narthex table or email goodnewschina16@gmail.com

As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Wisconsin Lutheran High School alumni, friends, parents, and students are invited to travel to Germany to see all of the significant sites of the Lutheran Reformation on a ten-day tour from March 24 to April 2, 2017. This trip will be in conjunction with a special traveling choir from WLHS. For more information and to register, go to www.wlhs.org/Lutherland2017.

Happy New Year! The pastors, staff, school faculty, and their families join in wishing all of you a blessed new year. During this new year, may we grow together in grace, faith, our love for the Word, and our desire to serve our Lord.