St. John’s Lutheran Church ELCA 1300 W. Benjamin Avenue

Norfolk, NE 68701 (402) 371-1985

stjohn@cableone.net www.stjohnsnorfolk.com

Our Mission: Loving God . . . Loving People . . . Reaching Out!

Please remember in prayer: Janet Jundt Dallas Esser Tom Barr Leona Pfeifer Bradley Wise Stephanie Rabbass Phil Sykes Jo Schaefer Kim Martinson Wave Prchal Keagan Sullivan Don Freese Bailey Suehl Boston DeWald Kurt Peterson Norma Hunter Warren DeWald Leona Scheerhoorn The family of Darrell Jorgensen as they mourn his death

If you know someone who is in need of prayer but whose name is not listed, it may be that they have asked not to be included in the printed bulletin. Please remember them in your personal prayers.

Flowers on the altar this last weekend of September are sponsored by Carol & Duane Timperley; in loving memory of all the loved ones we have lost; and by Dave & Penny Pedersen in honor of September birthdays. Also, thank you to the family of Darrell Jorgensen for the gift of flowers in his remembrance. Congratulations to Don & Beth Freese as they celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary on Oct. 3.

Everyone is invited to Fellowship Hour for coffee and rolls between

services each Sunday in the Fellowship Hall.

Thank you to everyone who helped in any way to support Campus Ministry through the Folks & Forks fundraiser on Sunday. We were able to net $12,277.66! A huge thank you to the Northeast Area Jazz Ensemble for great music, First Choice Pies and Culver’s Frozen Custard for wonderful dessert, and all who worked to keep things moving smoothly. All these efforts help keep campus ministry alive on NECC / UNMC’s campus here in Norfolk. PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE if you or someone you know is hospitalized and would enjoy a visit. Our church staff and hospital visiting volunteers would be happy to greet, see, and pray with you.

Dr. David E. Cox – Interim Senior Pastor

Justin Wiese – Assistant Pastor, NeLCM-Norfolk Campus Pastor Jacquie Samway – PMA, Coordinator of Congregational Care

Jolene Ziebell – Coordinator of Youth Ministries Gail Ermels – Office Manager

Jim Carter – Custodian/Grounds Keeper Midge Hedrick – Office Assistant

SUNDAY, SEPT 27 8:30 am ....................................................... Worship 9:30 am ........................................... Fellowship Hour 9:45 am .............................................. Sunday School 9:45 am .............................. Life of Christ Bible Study 11:00 am ..................................................... Worship

MONDAY, SEPT 28 10:00 am ............................................. Staff Meeting 7:00 pm ............................................. Praise Forever 8:30 pm………… .......................................... Solid Rock

TUESDAY, SEPT 29 7:00 am ................................ Men’s Prayer Breakfast 7:00 pm .............................. Coming Together Forum Hoppe Community Room (lower level)

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 30 1:30 pm .................................... Searchers ChristCare Connie Hagstrom, 402-649-4862 2:30 pm ...................... 7th & *th Grade Confirmation 3:35 pm .................................................. Youth Choir 4:20 pm ...................................................... Bell Choir 5:00 pm ................................................ Confirmation 5:30 pm ................................ Last Wednesday Lectio 7:00 pm ............................................. Property Team

THURSDAY, OCT 1 7:00 pm .............................. Majesty Choir Rehearsal

SATURDAY, OCT 3 5:00 pm ........................................................ Worship

SHOP FOR MINISTRY

SEPT 27 8:30 am Doris McMahon 11 am Beth Bonderson OCT 4 8:30 am Lee Stingley 11 am Jeanne Timperley

ST. JOHN’S EXECUTIVE BOARD Mike Widhalm, President. ...... 1-402-316-5382 John Skogstoe, VP ..................... 402-379-3148 Danny Olson, Treasurer............. 402-379-1036 Diane Sobotka, Secretary...….…..402-371-3583

OFFERINGS Mission Emphasis (OCT) ...................... Mercy Meals Greenfiber Funds for OCT-DEC .. Blessings/Backpack General offering for 9/20/15 .................... $5,678.29 The above general offering figure reflects

weekly additions of direct deposits and advance pledges.

End of August Net Profit / (Loss) .................... 543.95 Year-to-Date Net Profit / (Loss) ............ ($15,760.11) Attendance 9/20/15 ....................... (29, 98, 105) 232

NORFOLK FOOD PANTRY Thank you to all who helped with

groceries, money and the gift of time for the Norfolk Food Pantry. A special THANK YOU to Shirley

Frowick who manages to keep things orderly for St. John’s

during our volunteer month – moving donated

items from St. John’s to the pantry and making sure folks are available to help. You are the hands of God in our community!

TO OUR SEPTEMBER FOOD PANTRY

WORKERS:

Thank you for your kind and quick help you gave me and my family. The quantity and variety was greatly appreciated. I don’t do

thank you notes enough, but your added note of who was volunteering made me conscious of your time away on a weekday. Again,

thank you. God’s blessings on you all. ~anonymous~

Aline Skogstoe, our YAGM (Young Adult in Global Mission), is financially still somewhere

over the ocean! Thank you for your continued support of Aline in her mission work. Checks should be made out to St. John’s, with Aline’s name in memo line, and we will update weekly. If you would

like to write to Aline, her mailing address is: Aline Skogstoe St. Swithuns School Alresford Road Winchester, Hampshire, UK SO21 1HA

BRIGHT HORIZONS DIAPER DRIVE This is the final week for the diaper

drive. Bright Horizons is especially in need of sizes 4, 5, 6 and baby wipes. A collection box is available in the west

hallway for your donations until Wednesday.

STEPHEN MINISTRY

Our Stephen Ministers are

here to help you with this one-

to-one caring ministry. If you

would like to visit with a

minister, please contact one of

our leaders:

Karen Widhalm 402-694-9031

Jacquie Samway 402-371-1985

Jolene Ziebell 402-992-1328

Nancy Jacobs 402-841-1770

Our Stephen Ministers are:

Jeann Granstra Susan Skogstoe

Kristy Booras Laurel moore

Katrina Tomsen Kris Dahlkoetter

Jan Henning

St. John’s is starting 2 NEW CHOIRS

this fall to enhance worship. The rehearsals will be offered between

confirmation classes on Wednesday afternoons starting Sept. 9. These

choirs will be open to members or non-members:

YOUTH CHOIR is open to 3rd – 8th graders. (Wednesdays 3:35-4:15pm)

Song selections will be from “Capitol Kids! Worship” – a collection featuring

the biggest worship songs your kids may already be singing in the car!

BELL CHOIR is open to everyone – young and old! All are welcome to join

in on this intergenerational activity. (Wednesdays 4:20-5 pm)

MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) is a Christian group of women who support each

other in our mothering journey and grow together in our relationship with Christ. All mothers of children age newborn through

kindergarten are welcome. Free childcare is provided. The morning MOPS group meets the

first Wednesday of the month, September

through May, from 8:45 AM – 11 AM at Victory Road Evangelical Free Church, 1201 N. Victory Rd., Norfolk. The evening MOPS group

meets the third Thursday of the month, September through May, from 6 PM – 8:30 PM at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 1100

E. Benjamin Ave., Norfolk. All Christian denominations are welcome.

MAJESTY CHOIR

The Majesty Choir continues their

new choir season with practices on

Thursday nights @ 7 pm. We

welcome new voices, former members, or anyone who loves to

lift their voice to the Lord!

CALL COMMITTEE REPORT

The Call Committee has recently received the

profiles from Synod office of two candidates

for the position of Senior Pastor of St. John's.

After prayerful deliberation and conversation,

we have determined that these candidates are

not a good ministry match for our

congregation.

We appreciate your patience and continuing

prayers as we continue the call process.

The 2nd meeting of the Coming Together

Forums will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29,

from 7-8:30 pm in the Hoppe Community

Room (lower level – north side). These

discussions will revolve around the

Supreme Court decision to allow same

gender marriages. Session 2 – Biblical

Discussion regarding same sex

relationships. Thank you to all who provided food and served for the Waine Kruse funeral. Your generous donations and help is greatly appreciated.

A big thank you to all who baked and helped serve for the Darrell Jorgensen funeral. And, a special thank you to the "special hands" that showed up and helped with clean up. Everyone is so appreciated. Thank you.

Thank you also to those who have volunteered to help in the future with serving and preparing food for funerals! We’ll be calling!

Carol Timperley

Team forming

now to plan events that will be held the first

Wed. of each month. If interested in being part of this team, please contact

Mandy Sterud at 605-695-2920 or Tracy Meister 402-750-5734.

THE NEXT ST. JOHN’S Fall Festival “GET

TOGETHER” will be Wednesday, October 7, @ 6pm. There will be pumpkin bowling,

pumpkin cookie decorating, s'mores, a firepit and songs around the campfire.

Hope you can join us – everyone invited. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

To the people of St. John's, A big shout out of thanks to each and every one of you for making St. John's very first time participating in the ELCA God's Work, Our Hands day a huge success! It was a wonderful day and we had a great turnout of many hands joining together with our fellow ELCA congregations across the U.S. for a day of community service. Because of all your efforts, in a 3 hour time frame, with approximately 125 people participating, we were able to:

Pack 150 school kits for Lutheran World Relief

Assemble 600 Welcome Kits for the Chamber of Commerce

fold 500 flyers for the Norfolk Public Library

assemble 75 Christmas Ornaments for Golden Living Nursing Home

complete 3 tie blankets for The Madison House

make some awesome thank you cards for military veterans

clean up trash around the Norfolk Public Library and surrounding area, along Pasewalk from 18th to Hy-Vee, and along both sides of 275 by Menards and Walmart

Paint a room at the Rescue Mission & tear out a floor of another room

lay mats under over half of the playground equipment at Northern Hills Daycare

sort and pack 110 boxes of clothes for the Orphan Grain Train

visit nine people in nursing homes Complete many random acts of kindness

including: deliver cookies to the Police & Fire Station, took cold wash cloths to walkers at the Alzheimer's walk, gave out quarters at the laundry mat, paid for some people's groceries, paid for someone's meal in a fast food drive through, handed out lottery tickets at a gas station and washed their windshields.

We were all blessed to enjoy fun and fellowship while shining the light of Jesus to others through our service! In reference to Pastor David's sermon last week, I think some might even say, "now THAT is a great church." I can't wait to see what our next year God's Work, Our Hands day of service will look like!!

Oh...and did I mention...you guys ROCK!!!

In His service with all of you, Tracy Meister

REFUGEE HELP Wanting to help with the Refugee crisis

around the world? Lutheran World Relief and

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services

are excellent organizations to work with to

help others.

As the civil war in Syria continues, thousands

of refugees and migrants from Northern

Africa, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are

flowing into Europe. The UN Refugee

Agency reports that more than 2,000 refugees

are arriving in Hungary daily, before moving

on to other European countries.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

has been active since 1939 in working with

Refugees. They are present and working to

help people in need. Lutheran World Relief is

shipping Mission Quilts, Baby Care Kits and

Personal Care Kits to Serbia to distribute to

refugees and migrants.

LWR is also supporting ACT Alliance

members in providing humanitarian support.

ACT members are providing hygiene items,

winter coats and blankets, emergency shelter

and psychosocial support in two temporary

camps in Hungary.

Clergy Appreciation Day

is Sunday, Oct. 11

HELP ST. JOHN’S

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

IN FIGHTING

WORLD HUNGER

We need volunteers to help fill

our 3 teams –

10 people per team On Sunday, October 18th, St. John’s will

once again be participating in the MERCY

MEALS PACK AWAY HUNGER DAY

to be held at Divot’s DeVent Center. Last

year participants had a wonderful time

packing 15,000 for hungry children. This

year we plan on having 3 teams and beating

that record! Reserve the day and plan to

bring family and friends to help fight world

hunger.

Gather your friends and family

and reserve your spot

10:00 a.m. Noon or 2:00 p.m.

Honey Sunday

coming November 1

ST. JOHN’S WINTER WARMTH GIVEAWAY We are collecting clean, gently-used, no-longer-needed winter clothing to give (at no cost) to those in need.

Collection bins will be in the West Hallway for all sizes of:

Adult Outerwear Adult Sweaters

Children’s Winter Clothing Gloves, Hats, Scarves

Boots

Collection during October & November. Giveaway November 15, 2015

Let St. John’s “warm up the winter” and bring the warmth of God’s love to someone special. Temple Christ Care

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

5 PM

COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK

MIKE WIDHALM

WORSHIP ASSISTANT

KAREN WIDHALM

GREETERS/USHERS – Lonny & Clare

Kleensang

READER – Carolyn Wilcox

PRAYER LEADER – __________

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

8:30 AM

COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK

MIKE WIDHALM

WORSHIP ASSISTANT

KAREN WIDHALM

GREETERS – Marv Rover, Carol Sorsen

USHERS – Mark Polenske, Mike Frank,

Mike Kai

READER – Sara Fegley

FELLOWSHIP HOUR – Dennis & Lois Braesch

COMMUNION ASSISTANTS – Jim & Elenore

Merritt, Carol Waggoner, Sara Fegley

PRAYER LEADER – Maureen Bivens

POWERPOINT – Janet Erickson

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

11 AM

COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK

MIKE WIDHALM

WORSHIP ASSISTANT

KAREN WIDHALM

GREETERS—Jana Kuhlman, __________

USHERS – Jeff & Cathy Erwin, Mark Nelson

COMMUNION ASSISTANTS – Lon & Jeanne

Timperley, Cathy & Jeff Erwin

PRAYER LEADER – Carol Severa

POWERPOINT – Marcus / Adam Echtenkamp

LECTIONARY READINGS:

Jeremiah 11:18-20

Psalm 54

James 3:13—4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

5 PM

COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK –

DIANE SOBOTKA

WORSHIP ASSISTANT

CONNIE HAGSTROM

GREETERS/USHERS – Lonny & Clare

Kleensang

READER – Dale Stephenson

PRAYER LEADER – __________

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4

8:30 AM

COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK –

DIANE SOBOTKA

WORSHIP ASSISTANT

CONNIE HAGSTROM

GREETERS – Bob Henning, Dick & Barb Adams

USHERS – Dennis & Lois Braesch

READER – Rollie Downs

FELLOWSHIP HOUR – Roger & Lisa

Echtenkamp

COMMUNION ASSISTANTS – Rollie & Linda

Downs, Sherri Kuk, Diane Sobotka

PRAYER LEADER – Maureen Bivens

POWERPOINT – Midge Hedrick

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4

11 AM

COUNCIL PERSON OF THE WEEK –

DIANE SOBOTKA

WORSHIP ASSISTANT

CONNIE HAGSTROM

GREETERS—Michelle Dagerman, Martha

Thompson

USHERS – Kevin Bonderson, Don Meister,

Carol Severa

COMMUNION ASSISTANTS – Beth Bonderson,

Janet Erickson, Tracy Meister,

Kristy Booras

PRAYER LEADER – Lon Timperley

POWERPOINT –Emma Dagerman

LECTIONARY READINGS:

Genesis 2:18-24

Psalm 8

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

Mark 10:2-16