St. John's United Methodist Church5312 Backlick Road

Springfield, VA 22151Return Service Requested

Summer Fun at Camp Highroad Christian Adventure Camp

Camp Highroad is a scenic 657 acre camp located near Middleburg, Virginia. Programs are offered forElementary, Junior High and High School aged children and include swimming, horseback riding, arch-ery, mountain boarding and many more activities. Campers will make new friends, encounter the naturalworld, and learn about their faith in a safe Christian environment. CampHighroad is holding their Open

House event on May 6 and May 20. Information about summer sessions at Camp Highroad is availableon their website at www.camphiahroad.ora. CampHighroad is an outreach ministry of the Arlington andAlexandria Districts of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church

If your child is interested in attending Camp Highroad St. John's UMW has a $150 scholarship avail-

able to help cover camp costs. Please contact Vicki Holcombe (703-256-2246) by May 31 for more in-

formation.

1fOUTH NH\\fS

2013 ASP-July 21sf - 27th

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We are very excited to announce that this summer St. John's ASP volunteers will be living the scripturelesson for this year: Mark 10: 43-45 that says, "....Whoever wants to become great among you must beyour servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not cometo be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

As we embark on our 24th year with ASP, St. John's has broken another record. We will be taking SIXteams (31 volunteers) on our ASP mission trip to a yet to be determined destination in VA the week ofJuly 21-July 27. St. Johns will be joining approximately 480 other church groups for a week of serviceat one of the 30 ASP Centers. We are excited to have this opportunity to serve our ASWESOME God

by helping families in need in Central Appalachia.

We held our "2013 ASP Kick off" on Sunday, March 17th where we shared pizza and watched a DVDfrom ASP Headquarters. Lunch was followed by "Intro to ASP" which included a review of ASP Rulesand Regulations and an overview of a typical day on ASP.

ASP volunteers are strongly committed to serving the Lord by preparing themselves mentally, physi-

cally and spiritually for this mission. Much is expected of an ASP group!!!! Studying, teambuilding, andfundraising will all be part of our ASP experience.

ASP will be doing 4 fundraisers throughout the coming months. Pleasemark your calendars:

April 2pt_ Distribution of Homemade Eggrolls - We are now taking orders for these delicious treats.Please tell your friends, families and neighbors. We will be trying to break our record from last year of1600.

May 19th - ASP Spaghetti Luncheon - Immediately following worship, we will be enjoying beautiful mu-sic at the Spring Concert of the Handchimes and Handbells while ASP volunteers serve you spaghettiand salad.

June 2nd - Baked Potatoes - Immediately following worship, ASP will be selling those "hot baked" pota-toes' with all the fixins.

June 22nd - Car Wash - Bring your cars between 9:00 a.m.-1:oo p.m. on Saturday and let our ASPvolunteers make them shine.

All 31 volunteers are geared up and ready to go! We thank our families, church family and our friendsfor all the support you give us during these months leading up to our mission trip. We are looking for-ward to another fantastic year in the beautiful hills of Appalachia where we go forth to be the Handsand Feet of Christ.

A Notefrom

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~----=A Note from Our Pastor

Mark 16: 1-4 tells us, " When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and

Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week,when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, 'Who will role thestone away for us from the entrance to the tomb?' When they looked up, they saw that the stonewhich was very large, had already been rolled back. /I

This passage is beautifully written not only to give knowledge of our Lord's resurrection, but to alsogive us encouragement. r want to call your attention to one very important point of this passage. Haveyou noticed that the women listed in this account were not called to do that which they were unable todo? The stone had been rolled away for them. The stone probably weighed several hundred pounds andwould have to be rolled out of a rut in which it had been placed in order to open the tomb. Even if they

worked together, they would not have been able to move the stone.r would like to suggest that there are all kinds of obstacles to our happiness, joy, jobs and relation-

ships. Our daily stones don't cover the entrance of a tomb, but our paths are often blocked by stonesof unemployment, debt, divorce, and depression. The power and presence of Jesus is able to roll awaythe stones of discouragement, doubt, defeat, and even death. Easter is about hope.

r pray that you experience the joy of our Lord as we continue to celebrate the continuing good news ofEaster. Again, Thanks for your faithfulness. p~ 'BIlL

A "Note" about Music Ministry

Youth Choir Spring Concert and Choir TripSt. John's Youth Choir presented a wonderful spring musical worship service on Sunday, March

17. The program included several anthems: God of Wonders, Above the Hills of Time, Be Thou My Vi-sion, How CanI Keep From Singing, and Glory To God. Instrumental music included Tyler Pacak's tenorsaxophone solo, Kyle Dalsimer's snare drum solo, Kelly Pratt's piano solo, Hannah Listopad's clarinet solo,Sheryl Fox's clarinet solo, Kathy Strong's trombone solo, Melissa Pratt's violin solo, Katie Pacak's clari-net solo, Robyn Strong's flute solo, and Aaron Listopad's alto saxophone solo.

Boris Mewborn's role as Joseph Scriven was an inspiring introduction to the hymn "What aFriend We Have in Jesus". Many thanks to the assistance of Sanctuary Choir's Susan Novack for herrole as Joseph Scriven's mother. Devin Moore narrated the story. Devin also sang a short bass solo.Soprano Jessica Strong and Hannah Listopad sang beautiful solo parts in the program.

Youth Choir trip to Lancaster, PA is on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14. The sched-ule includes touring Turkey Hill Farm Experience, the Biblical Tabernacle Reproduction at the Mennon-ite Information Center, watching "Noah" at the Sight and Sound Theater, and having fun at the Her-shey Park. On Sunday, April 14 the youth will present a musical program at the Chinese Bible Churchof Lancaster in the church's 11:00 a.m. worship service.

I Am The Lord Of The Dance

Sanctuary Choir and Senior Saints did an excellent work presenting Joel Raney's musical "I AmThe Lord Of The Dance" in this Lenten season. They will continue to finish the musical on Palm Sundayand Easter Sunday.

Spring Choir ConcertsSunday, April 28 - Sanctuary Choir & Senior SaintsSunday, May 12 - Children's ChoirSunday, May 19 - Handbell/Handchime Choirs

Festival Choir with Brass Quintet

On both Sunday, June 16 (Pastor Bill's Retirement Sunday) and Sunday, June 30 (New Pastor's 1stSunday), we will have a festival choir singing hymns and anthems accompanied by The Legacy BrassQuintet. If you are interested in joining this festival choir, please talk to me on any Sunday after theworship service.

St. John's 2013 Music CampDate: Wednesday, June 19 to Sunday, June 23Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon each day

Registration: from now to June 15St. John's music camp is open to children from rising kindergarten students to rising 5th grade stu-dents. The camp is free. Students need to bring their own snacks and drinks.

&ndo~

ci'.t.",~ A Note from the eELT

"God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it." John Wesley

,~Spring in the Nation's Capital is a time we think of cherry blossoms, lush trees and

:~ blooming flowers. This year it began with a blustery face. Yet, in spite of the.~ chills and surprise snow showers, purple crocuses, yellow daffodils and pink budsbravely pushed their way forward in spite of the wind and cold. So it should bewith our prayers and faith.

Spring is a beautiful time of year, but it can be a difficult time for some. Worries about finances, lay-offs or imposed furloughs can make us anxious. Teenage children eager to drive cars, little ones racingon their scooters, elderly parents with health concerns - these and more can sometimes blind us to thebeauty that is pressing beneath our toes, filling the air and sky.

When we think that life's challenges are too big, we need to remember that our God is bigger than any-thing else. PRAY- Prayers are pathways to God's heart. God takes our prayers and uses them to makeus like the beautiful, emerging flowers that bloom, even in spite of harsh weather. Perhaps His answeris not what we may thought was important - but if we wait and remain faithful to God, He will give usjust enough for what we truly need.

So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes.Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or

harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuableto him than they are. Canall your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or maketheir clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God caresso wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you?You have so little faith! ....Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he willgive you all youneed from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.Matthew 6:25-34

~~~~.[~..~j United Methodist Women ~~~~~\I)~' ~fI)i'~----------------- .~.Interested in a Scholarship? Apply nowl

The United Methodist Women of St. John's administers the Gerry Daggett Scholarship for

•. ~. Women, which provides financial assistance to female applicants (adults and high-school sen-"'~~ iors) .who have been accepted into a degree program at an accredited institution of higherGI'3IfIOfioD learning.

If you are 17 years old, graduating from high school this year, actively involved in youth andchurch activities, and have been a member of St. John's for one year prior to the submittal date of

your application, you may apply for a Scholarship to help pay for college expenses.Please contact Marty Bickford at martyb@martfour.com or 703-731-7992 for the Scholarship Guide-lines and the Application. 2013 high schools seniors entering college this fall must complete and returnthe application form to Marty no later than Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

Mark Your Calendar

April 6 - "In Her Shoes" - a program about domestic violence from 1:00 -3:30 PM at Good ShepherdUMC, 14999 Birchdale Ave., Dale City, VA 22193 Woodbridge (Dale City), VA; No charge but mustRSVP to Brenda Romenius by April 2, 2013.

April 9, 23 & 30 - Homemade Cookies for Kairos - a prison ministry that shares God's love, grace andmercy with incarcerated women by distributing cookies to every person behind prison walls during theseweekends. (UMW members will receive specific instructions for baking cookies that must be followedbecause of prison requirements.)

May 3-5 - "Having Tea with Jesus" - UMW Virginia Conference Spiritual Life Retreat led by Rev.Dawn-Marie Singleton of Oakton UMC, at Blackstone; registration deadline is April 24, 2013 (daily orovernight fees available).

UMW Circle Information

All women -adults & teens- at St. John's are invited to join the United Methodist Women. This is a won-

derful way to make new friends, to have fellowship time and to support various outreach and missionprojects. The UMW is comprised of five circles which meet monthly, plus three additional circles: TheSunshine Circle (provides contact for members in need), the Youth Kaleidoscope Circle and the friendsCircle which does not have monthly meetings. To join a circle or receive more info, please call theChurch Office.

APRIL Circle Duties:KITCHEN/ CARDSGREETERS

May Circle Duties:KITCHEN/ CARDSGREETERS

KaleidoscopeJoy

Women In ActionJackson

Church News

BltxxlDRIVE

Attention Graduate and/or Parentsof Graduates

It's that time of year again! The office needs thename of our graduates. We need the name ofHigh School seniors and the school they plan toattend in the fall. We also need the names of our

University and College graduates, please includedegree received. Graduates will be recognized onGraduate Sunday, June 9th. Pleasesendinformation to stjohns1@aol.com Do it now, be-fore you forget!

Stewardship"Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,for his wonderful works to humankind"

",,,,Psalm107.'8, NRSV

We want to thank all of those that participated inthe One Great Hour of Sharing - God's SteadfastLove on Sunday, March 10th. We collected a to-tal of $455.00 which has been sent toUMCOR. This special offering is for people toshare money. 1001'0of the money that was col-lected here at our church and that of other

churches collected in many other places helps

people who need food, shelter, school supplies orother things to live and grow. When we sharewhat we have with others, we help to share God'slove.

Scholarships available - St . John Is SeniorsApplications for the Walter Steir's EducationAssistant Fund and the Wen Ke Yang

Science Scholarship have been mailed to ~~.

seniors who are members of St. John's ~~or dependents of St. John's mem- G1'alflaiioDbers. If for some reason a packet did not come

to you or you have questions, please contact RaeWinstead at 703-321-7018 orrlwinstead@cox.net, or call the church of-

fice. The deadline for application is May 1,2013.

Prayer Ministry: Friend-RaisingStarting in May, the Prayer Ministryis going to kick off a program withinSt. John's Church to bring awareness

to the importance of friends. We arecalling this experience "Friend-

raising'. On Sunday, May 5, as you walk aroundthe church, you will see posters that offer re-minders/opportunities to make new friends, re-member friends, or to just reach out to someonewho could use a friendly smile or encouragement.The Bible reflects upon friendship as the bondthat forms the foundation to human faith, trust,

and companionship. Matthew 7:7 says "Ask and itwi/! be given to you; seek and you will find; knockand the door wi/! be opened for you." John 15:13says "Greater love hath no man than this that aman lay down his life for his friend" You will seeand hear more about this in the bulletin and from

the minister and church staff in the comingweeks. Let's make friend-raising something that

challenges us to reach out to others who couldtruly use a friend.May our motto be "What a friend we have inJesus!"

BLOOD DRIVE

SAVE THE DATE: SUNDAY, April 14Sam - 12 noon It only takes a drop to

get a unit of blood flowing. The entire processfrom check-in, health questionnaire, vitals, dona-tion and snack time should take about an hour.

If you've given before ---Thank you! If you canno longer donate - thank you for past donations.If you'd like to join our team of "LIFE SAVERS"- please join us on Sunday, April 14th. AtSpringfield Christian Church 5407 Backlick Rd.Ages 17 to ageless (16, with parental permissionform, and must weigh at least 110 Ibs).Sign-up sheets in Donaldson Hall. SOMEONENEEDS A LITTLE OF YOUR BLOOD A LOT!!!

Please sign up or call Judy Bennett at 703-425-7636 for more information or details.

Church News ~' ". """ ~~ 0.,

Church

Fa••~lws

2013 Lenten Dinners

A great big IIthank youll is extended to the minis-try groups and all who helped with the recentLenten dinners. The meals were delicious and

greatly appreciated! Rising Hope UMC gave St.John's great thanks for the meals of soup, salad,crackers and cookies that they received when theMarch 6 Lenten dinner was canceled due to incli-

mate weather -- they were able to serve a home-less community for several days.Pastor Bill gave us a meaningful evening with hismeditations on the IIleast and the 10nely.1IThese

examples of un-named women from the Bible re-minded us of how Jesus used people who wereoverlooked or ignored by society.Many thanks to all who donated food for localfood pantries. 220 Ibs of food were donated toECHO and Rising Hope! The monetary donationsthat were given for the Lenten Dinners will go tothe Society of St. Andrew, a UMC mission organi-zation that supports hunger initiatives.

2013 ASP Fundraiser "Crispy Spring Rolls"Starting Sunday March 31, ASP will be taking

pre-orders. Thanks to our experts, Tina,- James and Debbie, your ASP teams will

gather to work together in preparing thespring rolls. We are offering you the

early bird special pricing of $1.25 per springroll. If you purchase 20 or more the cost will be$1.00. If you are interested in taking advantageof the pre-order pricing, you can fill out the in-sert in the bulletin and place your order in theoffering plat until April 14th. The pickup d!ltewill be Sunday, April 21st after worship and dur-ing Social time. If you decide not to take advan-tage of the special pricing, you will still have anopportunity to indulge in these tasty treats; how-ever, the price will be $1.75 per spring roll onthe day of pickup as long as our supply last. Don'tmiss out on this culinary treat and at the same

time support St. John's 2013 ASP mission trip!

New Chairs with Arms

New chairs with arms have been purchased for

people to assist them with comfort and the abil-ity to move more easily from the chair. Pleaseleave them for those who need assistance.

Vacation Bible School

Sprouting flowers, children's laughterand warmer weather brings thoughts of

Vacatfon -- Vacation Bible School! St. John'sBible will hold Vacation Bible School during

School the week of July 15-19, 9 AM -Noon. The program will feature an internationaltheme with emphasis on loving God'sneighbors. There will be many features to thispopular VBS -- Bible stories and scripture, Artsand Crafts, Play, a Storyteller and hands-on mis-sion. Volunteers are needed for this great weekat St. John's. Contact Brenda at brendaromen-

ius@yahoo.comto help.

Prayer Ministry FocusPrayer Focus: Continuing celebration of EasterQuestion: Will the celebration of the resurrec-tion spur resurrection in your own faith?

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Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Remembrances

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April Birthdays ...1 Ming Cribbs, Aimee Jennings, Susan Stalp2 Randall Bugby, David Skellenger3 Joseph Kurland, Mark Perlish4 Max Greeney, Bryan Strong5 Don Vierimaa

7 Stephanie Brock-Gruber, J aelyn Burnett9 Dimmitt Houff, Tina Nguyen10 Lois Augustad, Sherry Minear11 April Brassard, Corene Danehower,

Patricia Eggerton, Jennifer Herget,Stephen Ulrey

12 Mardrey Amery13 Dick Getman, Jessie Mahn, Billy Steinbuechler14 Susan Brammell, Amanda Butler-Reuschle,

Luke Catania

15 Scott Ulrey16 Sandra Acosta, Alexandra Mott

17 Judy Brasse, Daniel Bugby, Antonia Shull18 Ruby Hough, Callie Stearns19 Allen Stalp20 Greg Cribbs, Robert Hetzer, Ken Walsh21 Eddy Mullet22 Katherine Donnellan, Edward Gibson,

Kenneth Soter23 Laura Hollowell

24 Eric Hembree, PaulaLedman,25 EmmaLa Violette, Reid Moore,

James Sanders

25 Lauren Doane,Martha Stearns, Peri Ulrey

26 Kathy Gibbs, Sarah Pactrick, Audra Poling27 Lauren Gill

28 Kendall Barry, Nick Bennett29 Michael Krzywicki

April Anniversaries ...Andy & Emilee Anderson,Pete & Emily Pederson

2 Don & Diane Young3 Sammy & Terri Gonzales4 Michael & Jessica Stearns

10 Tom & Gina Barry13 Luke & Suzanne Catania

18 Michael & Linda Meaney,Richard & Michele Schuck

20 Jim & Kathy LaViolette, William & Sharon Lee23 Ron & Faye King27 Mike & PamJennings

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St. John's United Methodist Church

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4:30pm Zumba

9:30am CECE10:30am SRSaints-F10:30am Bible 4:00pm Eagle(DH)

Chapel11 :OOam Hand Study Scout

7:30pm Scouts12:30pm TuesdayChimes(Library) Ceremony

980 (D.H.)

Players5:30pm Bells of10:30am SR Saints(Pizzeria)

Joy(Aarondale:

6:30pm Bells of

6: 15pm ZumbaPraise

Class (DH)

7:30pm SanctuaryChoir(ChoirRoom)7

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9: 15am Sunday4:30pm Zumba 11 :OOam Hand10:30am Bible 7:00am Youth

School(DH) ChimesStudy Choir Trip

Classes7:00pm BIY ART 5:30pm Bells of(Library)

10:30am Worship

(Parlor) Joy10:30am SR SaintsService

7:30pm Scouts 6:30pm Bells of(Arden Ct)

11 :45am ASP Study

980 (D.H.) Praise6:15pm Zumba2:00pm PCE-Reh

7:30pm PSPR MtgClass (DH)

2:00pm Venturing

(Library)7:30pm SanctuaryChoir(ChoirRoom)

14

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4:30pm Zumba ChapelChimesStudy Action

9:15am Sunday

(DH)7:00pm Order of5:30pm Bells of(Library) (Library)School

7:00pm Historial Arrow (DH)Joy10:30am SR Saints 11 :OOam ASP PrepClasses

Mtg7:15pm Church6:30pm Bells of(Heritage) Egg Rolls

10:30am Worship

(Library)CouncilPraise6:15pm Zumba 4:00pm PCE-RehService

7:30pm Scouts (Library)7:30pm Joy CircleClass (DH)

980 (D.H.)7:30pm Sanctuary

Choir(ChoirRoom)21

2223242526219: 15am Sunday

4:30pm Zumba6:30pm Pack Mtg11 :OOam Hand10:30am Bible 1:OOpm WeddingSchool

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7:30pm Scouts7:00pm UMW5:30pm Bells of(Library)

10:30am Worship

980 (D.H.)Board -Joy10:30am SR SaintsService

Parlor6:30pm Bells of (Annadale

11 :30am ASP Egg

Praise1:00pm CECERolls

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2:00pm Venturing

6:15pm Zumba3:00pm PCE

Class (DH)Concert

7:30pm Sanctuary4:00pm Scouts980

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9:15am Sunday4:30pm Zumba

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10:30am Worship

980 (D.H.)Service 11 :30am Blood Pressure11 :30am Luncheon (DH)12:30pm Mission Project

5312 Backlick Road, Springfiled, VA 22151 703-256-6655 stjohns1@aol.com saintjohnsumc.org