Tuesday, December 5 – St John’s will hold a Voters meeting at 6:30 PM. Major agenda items include:  1) Elections of new officers and board members from a slate of candidates recommended by the church council; 2) Reports from the various boards on their activities this past year;  3) A report from the master site plan committee, and the church council recommendation to enlist the services of an architect to develop a master site plan for the St. John’s campus.  All voters, and interested members, are encouraged to attend.

Sunday, December 3 – Ladies, this weekend is your last chance to set aside time to join us for a Christ-centered preparation for the holiday season.  Registration for the Advent by Candlelight event, "Signposts to the Savior", ends on Sunday, November 26. Hostesses, please provide Julie Handeland with your guest-list via email at sjtosa.abc@gmail.com. Also, volunteer opportunities for set up and clean up are still available; please contact Courtney Moll at courtney.moll@wlc.edu.  For all other questions, please contact Jennifer Wolf at jlmctavish@gmail.com.

December 2-3 – Thanks to you, a child will have a nutritious snack after school and a family will have a well-balanced dinner.  Your donations to our monthly food pantry collection designated for Christ Lutheran Church in Milwaukee makes a difference in the lives of our fellow believers. Please bring your non-perishable food items (cash also welcomed) to the narthex the weekend of December 2-3.  

December Council Project of the Month – Please consider an “Above and Beyond” offering to assist with funding for the cost to repair one of the school rooftop units, which heat/cool our students, faculty and staff.  Since the $7,300 repair was not anticipated (nor included with the annual school maintenance budget), we ask for gifts to this special project.  If you would like to contribute to this Council Project, please use your green Above & Beyond envelope and make checks payable to St. John’s.

Wednesday, December 20 – Founded at St. Marcus Lutheran Church in the early 1990s, the Lutheran Ceili Orchestra spreads an awareness of the history of the Christian faith in Ireland by sharing a unique blend of Lutheran hymns with traditional Celtic tunes that trace their roots to the earliest Christian traditions, writings, and music in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.  St. John’s welcomes the Lutheran Ceili Orchestra to provide music (and some Celtic Christian history) during the third midweek Advent service on December 20.  A fellowship meal will precede the service.   

This church year, the first Sunday in Advent is December 3, with the last Sunday in Advent being December 24.  St. John’s midweek Advent worship services will be held on December 6, 13 and 20.  December 6 and 13 will follow the typical schedule of 3:30 PM and 6:45 PM, with fellowship meals being served from 4:30 – 6:30 PM.  There will be a single service on December 20 featuring the Lutheran Ceili Orchestra at 6:30 PM, with a fellowship meal served from 4:30 – 6:15 PM.  For a full list of seasonal worship times visit www.sjtosa.org/HolidayWorship.

November 11-12 – This weekend is Commitment Day.  Every member has been asked to prayerfully and carefully consider their level of support so we can continue to carry out our Gospel ministry together, at and through St. John’s.  Place your 2018 pledge cards from the stewardship mailing in the offering plate, the box provided in the narthex, or pledge on-line.  Extra, blank pledge cards are provided on the narthex table for your convenience.

Sunday, December 3 – Advent by Candlelight is fast approaching, and we need your help! Ladies, please consider hosting a table for our annual event.  Hostesses provide table settings, holiday decorations, candles and a dessert for a table of 8 or 12 ladies.  Many partner with one or two others to host a table.  It is lots of fun and requires only a few hours of your time for planning, baking (or buying) and decorating.  Please fill out the registration form at www.sjtosa.org/ABC or e-mail Julie Handeland at sjtosa.abc@gmail.com by November 19 if you want to host a table this year (or need more information before committing).

Starting Sunday, November 5 - What does it mean to be a Lutheran? Using selected video chapters from the recent movie Return to Grace, Pastor Leyrer will lead Sunday morning Bible study at 9:15 a.m., in the Fellowship Hall, and will explore how God used Martin Luther to bring the church back to God’s grace in Christ. More than a simple review of Reformation history, the goal of this class is to reinforce and lead us to appreciate anew the truths we still confess and treasure as Lutheran Christians. Click here for class resources.

Saturday, November 11 & Sunday, November 12 - St. John’s is staffing a concession stand for Trainfest at State Fair Park November 11 & 12 from 8:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m. No previous training required! By doing so, St John’s earns money for non-budgeted items. If you available to help, please go to the SighUp volunteer registration page here. You will need to enter your E-mail address, however, you do NOT need to register an account. From there, you will sign up and choose your spots. SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!