through god all things are possible
TRANSCRIPT
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid Pittsburgh, PA
Permit 125
“Making Christ Known” during the Global Pandemic
Volume 2, Number 9
Email - [email protected]
phone - 412-364-1606
Saturday Worship Service: 5:30 p.m.
Sunday Morning Worship Services: 8:15 a.m. - Traditional
10:45 a.m. - Contemporary with Livestream
Christian Education Sundays 9:30-10:30 a.m.
www.stjohnslutheranchurch.com
Pastor Kari Smail
St. John’s Lutheran Church of Highland
311 Cumberland Road Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Information as of NOV/OCT 2021
DATED MATERIAL Please deliver by October 25, 2021
Inside this issue:
Through God All Things Are Possible
“Making Christ Known” as we recover from the Global Pandemic 14TH EDITION
A Note from Pastor Kari
Worship
Current Worship Services
Christian Education
Ministry Highlights
Pleasant Valley Men’s Shelter
Ministry Highlights Continued….
Fall Food Drive
Christmas Toys
WELCA
Neighborhood Resilience Project
Saintly Sewers
More Ministry Highlights
Meals on Wheels Baking
Grace’s Closet
Financially Speaking
Council Members
Staff Members
“Making Christ Known” St. John's Lutheran Church
Vol. 2 Issue 9
Current Information as of October/November 2021
PLEASANT VALLEY MEN’S SHELTER
Thank you to Linda Nardina, Linda Meyerdierks and our youth for providing the August meal to the men at the Pleasant Valley Men’s Shelter. Each month members of our St. John’s family provide a meal for these men. If you’d like to be involved in this outreach ministry please contact
Dianne Barbin (412-364-3045) or Jean Martz (412-364-2894).
Greetings St. John’s family!
I have to tell you that Rally Day this year held special meaning after not being able to gather for Rally Day last year. We had so many people come and reconnect after not being physically present due to the pandemic and it was so wonderful to see! In looking around the sanctuary I realized that all of our kids grew up! While we know that this happens, it still is amazing to see. it has been very exciting to have folks young and old come together to give praise to God the past few weeks! The Spirit continues to be actively at work at St. John’s, thanks be to God.
In the coming weeks starting with the first weekend of October we will be living into our stewardship emphasis for this year. Our theme will be “Embrace the Vision – to Make Christ Known.” We have so many things to look forward to in the days and months and years to come, like living more fully into the Vision Statement we adopted this year, as well as calling an associate pastor!
As I reflect on the blessing of Rally Day, and look forward to the future as we seek to embrace the vision to make Christ known, I am reminded of the importance of the people of God. None of this can happen without all of you. Please know that I am so thankful for each and every member of our congregation. I am grateful for your support of our mission and ministry. And I know that for as many people that we were blessed to see on Rally Day weekend, there are also many more who gather with us through our stream and support the ministry from home. All of it makes a difference and all of it blesses the ministry of St. John’s. Thank you for the difference you make as we seek to Make Christ Known together!
Traditional Worship Service Contemporary Worship Service Saturdays ~ 5:30pm Sundays ~ 10:45am Sundays ~ 8:15am (with livestream) www.stjohnslutheranchurch.com
We continue to update our worship guidelines in light of current CDC guidelines. As a result of recent updates by the CDC and a letter from our Bishop, mask wearing in our building has been reinstated while our county has a substantial or high transmission rate. All other policies remain the same.
Communion remains a no touch system and bulletins are available and accessible through your phone.
Christian Education Sundays 9:30am - 10:30am Youth & Adult classes
Soli Deo Gloria! (To God Alone be the Glory!)
Pastor Kari Smail
A Word from PastorA Word from PastorA Word from Pastor
Some Ministry HighlightsSome Ministry HighlightsSome Ministry Highlights
Page 2 “Making Christ Known”
Together, our Social Ministry Committee and WELCA continue to seek opportunities to support our community through the Neighborhood Resilience Project. We are in need of volunteers to provide help with the Resilience Project’s weekly Wednesday hot meals - You can form your own team or ask to be matched with other members. Each team leader will coordinate the date and task of cooking and delivering a meal for 50 people. If anyone would like to participate but cannot cook or deliver the food they are still welcome to participate by buying items or contributing financially to the meal. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Joumana Driscoll at [email protected].
Please provide the following:
__ Your Name __Preferred method of communicating (email or phone) I’m interested in: __ more information __ I have some questions __ forming my own team __ prefer to be matched with an existing team I am able to: __ buy and cook a portion of the meal __ cook with a budget to purchase the food __ deliver a meal to 2038 Beford Ave. by 4:30pm __ financially contribute a donation
The sign-up calendar for the Wednesday meals is at this link:
Wednesday Meals For more information about the
Neighborhood Resilience Project: NRP
will be delivering quilts and backpacks to Lutheran World Relief on October 9.
On Sunday September 19, the confirmation students packed all of the
backpacks with the school supplies. They were a big help to our group.
Thank you!
Other school supplies were delivered to North Hills Community
Outreach. Thank you St John’s for supporting these ministries
by bringing school supplies to our drop off bin!
Together we continue to Make Christ Known.
We will bless the items that are being sent overseas on Sunday,
October 3. We are so thankful for the opportunity to send these gifts to
those that are in need. We pray they will be a blessing to those who receive them.
We continue to support Blessed Bundles. Another carload of supplies went last week.
This is such a blessing to those young families who need help.
St. John’s Saintly SewersSt. John’s Saintly SewersSt. John’s Saintly Sewers
The WELCA group of St John’s meets on the third Tuesday of each month. We are currently exploring a study entitled “The Blessings of Aging” presented by Sister Joan Chittister. Come join us in Highland Hall as we learn and grow together.
WELCA: (Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America)
Four of our members attended the SWPA and NWPA Welca retreat which was held at Lutherlyn. We enjoyed a fun filled day at our beautiful Outdoor ministry camp. We had worship, hikes, games, delicious meals, great conversation, workshops and even a shopping adventure for Free Trade items. We voted on a new outreach that Welca will support for this coming year. The new organization is New Start Furniture Ministry (Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Glenshaw). All of the WELCA groups will support them starting January 2022.
Keep your eyes open for further details to come.
Our Social Ministry Committee will be holding a Fall Food Drive again this year prior to Thanksgiving.
We will also sponsor an annual Toy Drive through Northside Common Ministries. This has always been a joyful ministry to share the gift of Jesus’ birth and celebrate with children in need. It sounds like there will be a toy shortage this year so some may want to do some early shopping. Please watch the Saturday Announcement’s email for dates and details. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some Ministry Highlights continued…….Some Ministry Highlights continued…….Some Ministry Highlights continued…….
“Making Christ Known” Page 3
Our wonderful volunteers provide 2-3 doz. cookies, 2-3 doz. cupcakes, brownies, angel food cake, pound or coffee cake on their assigned Sunday. The donations are dropped off at the Kofmehl’s (1187 Windmill Lane, 15237) If you would like to join in this ministry or have any questions, please call Eric Kofmehl at 412-860-1585.
St. John’s is providing the desserts for McKnight Meals-on-Wheels during the month of October.
Current Church Council Members
Kim Gettemy PRESIDENT -Worship & Music
Joumana Driscoll VICE PRESIDENT -Social Ministry
Emmett Brown TREASURER -Finance
Emily Bovan SECRETARY -Youth Ministry
Pastor Smail Senior Pastor
John Angel PRESCHOOL
Scott Celin MUTUAL MINISTRY
Jamie Davis CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Joe Logan CEMETERY
Scott Nardina PROPERTY
Jim Robertson STEWARDSHIP
Cris Ruffolo FELLOWSHIP
Ellen Skirpan EVANGELISM
St. John’s Current Staff
Pastor Kari B. Smail Senior Pastor
Ron Baling Dir. of Contemporary Music
Joseph Tuttle Organist & Dir. of Choirs
Mary Lynne Martin Office Administrator/A/R Clerk
Rich Volpe Accounts Payable Clerk
Laura Coombs Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Bolinda Dir. of St. John’s Preschool
Linda Meyerdierks Youth Ministry Coordinator
Gene Kesner Sexton
Mike Sheleheda Building Usage Coordinator
We know that some people are
struggling financially right now due to the pandemic. If these are hard economic times for you or someone
you know, please know that there is a
Family Emergency Fund at church that may be able to lend
some help.
Please contact Pastor Kari for more
information at [email protected]
~ AUGUST 2021 ~~ AUGUST 2021 ~~ AUGUST 2021 ~ Financially SpeakingFinancially SpeakingFinancially Speaking
We continue to collect clothing donations for those who may be less fortunate in our communities through our partnership with Grace Calvary Lutheran Church in Butler.
Donations of gently used clothing items FOR ALL AGES can be dropped off in
Highland Hall on tables that are labeled “Grace’s Closet” If you have any questions,
please contact Eric Kofmehl at (412)860-1585.
MORE Ministry Highlights!MORE Ministry Highlights!MORE Ministry Highlights!
GENERAL FUND INCOME
August Actual $ 49,969.09 August Budget $ 55,624.42 Gain (Short Fall) ($ 5,655.33)
YTD Actual $ 419,457.51 YTD Budget $ 444,995.33 Gain (Short Fall) ($ 25,537.82)
YTD Income $ 419,457.51 YTD Expenses $ 399,741.27 Income (Loss) $ 19,716.24
BUILDING FUND:
YTD Actual $ 43,646.00 YTD Budget $ 46,808.67 Gain (Short Fall) ($ 3,162.67)
There are 3 ways to contribute to the building fund.
BUILDING LOAN Currently our mortgage has a
balance of $35,444.87 (as of Sept.1, 2021) with a
monthly payment of $7,039.00.
1. Use the BUILDING FUND envelope from your monthly envelope packet
2. Use the pledge card “KEEPING THE FAITH” (for 2021)
3. Email the church office, [email protected] Attention: Laura Coombs and set up an electronic donation.
EVERY GIFT MATTERS! Thank you for your ongoing stewardship & generosity!
Continuing the Legacy 2019 (Miracle Sunday)
Thank you to the Congregation for making this such a
successful event!
There is still time to make a One Time Donation to “Miracle Sunday”.
All you have to do is drop a check into the plate of mail.