Start off the New Year sharing your blessings. Please add a few items to your shopping list and bring them to the narthex for the food pantry. Dry cereal, instant potatoes, rice, pasta; cans of vegetables, fruit, soup, and tuna are much appreciated. Your donations are making a difference in the lives of Milwaukee area residents. 

As publicized over the past six months, our goal as a congregation is to retire our mortgage debt by December 31, 2019. Approximately $103,000 has been contributed since April 2019, putting us about halfway to our goal. Should the Lord allow us to meet this challenge, we will celebrate his goodness to us through a mortgage burning ceremony as part of our New Year’s Eve service. If you would like to contribute, please mark your envelope “Debt Retirement” and make checks payable to St. John’s. We are thankful for the generosity of everyone who has contributed thus far, and we ask for your prayers as we continue to work toward fully paying off our school facility by the end of 2019.

Thursday, January 9
Please join us for one more discussion forum before we close the book on the New Testament! We’ll meet from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall to answer your questions and wrap up a perfectly tied together and supremely bookended story: a story that begins in one perfect garden and ends in another. Questions or topics for consideration can be submitted in advance to Pastor Eric Schroeder by clicking here. In addition to the questions you submit, we’ll preview Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, the focus of By Scripture Alone in 2020. Catechisms can be purchased from Pastor Schroeder for $20, and a 2020 reading schedule is available by clicking here.

Sunday, February 16
All St. John’s volunteers are invited downtown to the Grace Center at Grace Lutheran Church for Volunteer Appreciation Night from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Formal invitations with more details will be sent shortly after Christmas. If you have volunteered at St. John’s in any way during the past year, please mark Sunday, February 16 on your calendar and make plans to attend this evening of food, fellowship, and fun.

Thursday, January 9
Please join us for one more discussion forum before we close the book on the New Testament! We’ll meet from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall to answer your questions and wrap up a perfectly tied together and supremely bookended story: a story that begins in one perfect garden and ends in another. Questions or topics for consideration can be submitted in advance to Pastor Eric Schroeder by clicking here. In addition to the questions you submit, we’ll preview Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, the 2020 focus of By Scripture Alone.

St. John's Help Fund
In Galatians 6:10, God directs us: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” For this reason, St. John’s maintains a Help Fund to provide emergency assistance to those within our congregation who find themselves in need due to unforeseen or unplanned circumstances. To donate, use your green Above & Beyond envelope. Make checks payable to St. John's.

Please join us for a number of special worship opportunities during the month of December. Midweek Advent services are held at 3:30 and 6:45 p.m. on Wednesdays (December 11 and 18), with fellowship meals served from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. For a complete worship schedule, including our Christmas and New Year’s services, visit www.sjtosa.org/HolidayWorship.

1. We will embark on a new church year. This past Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent, which begins the festival half of the church year. Please plan to join us for a number of special worship opportunities this month. Click here for a full schedule.

2. We will hold our 20th annual Advent by Candlelight program on Sunday, December 8, centered around the theme "Five Little Words." This is a special opportunity for women and girls to gather around God's Word as told through narration and song.

3. Our early childhood program will share the message of our Savior's birth in their annual Christmas program on Saturday, December 14. This program is a special opportunity to welcome visitors who may not otherwise join us for worship.

We held our annual voters' meeting on November 26, where we elected Board members for 2020, issued a principal call, and approved the strategic plan. Watch for more regular communication from our Boards in the new year.

Our boys and girls basketball teams kicked off their seasons, with our boys A team winning the Star of Bethlehem tip-off tournament. Click here for a full sports schedule, and please consider coming out to support our teams!

 

In addition to our church communication, our school also sends out a weekly E-newsletter. The Crusader Chronicle shares all the news and details all the happenings at school. For more information and to subscribe, visit www.sjtosa.org/CrusaderChronicle.