Sunday, May 26, 2019

This Week @ St. John


  • MON/TUE MAY 27-28- Church Offices Closed
  • THRS MAY 30- Ascention Service at Mission Central, Mapleton
    5:30PM Dupper, 7:00PM Worship
  • SAT JUNE 1- 6:00PM Worship at Immanuel, Soldier TWP
  • SUN JUNE 2- Summer Hours begin
    8:00AM Adult Bible Class
    9:00AM Worship with Communion (LWML Mite Box Sunday)

Sunday, May 19, 2019

LYF NYG Minneapolis Fundraising Envelopes

Several members of our youth group are gearing up for a 'Real. Present. God' experience in Minneapolis this Summer at the LCMS-Natnional Youth Gathering. This year we are trying a different sort of fundraisng opportunity. Instead of insisting that you buy something, we are simply asking for donations- in whatever amount you would be willing to contribute.

In return for your support, the LYF will do service activities for our church. Our first service will be to "Spring clean" the playground when our contributions hit the $200 mark. We have a lot of other service ideas in the hopper but are open to suggesstions from our church family.

An envelope board is on display in the fellowship hall. If you are able to support us in our faith walk journey, please take an envelope from the board and return the envelope (filled) to the nearby LYF box.

If you're reading this online, far from Charter Oak and would like to support St. John's LYF, make checks payable to "St.John LYF," put "2019 NYG" on the memo line and send it to:

St.John Lutheran Church- LYF
104 Birch Ave.
Charter Oak, IA 51439

Thank you for your financial and spiritual support & encouragement.



This Week @ St. John


  • MON 5/20- Pastor gone
  • THRS 5/23- 9:30AM Ricketts Bible Study
  • SAT 5/25- 6:00PM Worship with Communion at Immanuel, Soldier TWP
  • SUN 5/26- 8:45AM Adult Bible Study (PK-MS Sunday School & HS Bible Study on haiatus for Summer)
    • 10:00AM Worship & Memorial Day Ceremonies
    • 1:00PM Pastor preaching at Denison Care Center
    • 2:00PM Pastor at Eventide
    • 2:45PM Pastor at Silveridge

Sunday, May 12, 2019

This Week @ St.John

  • TUES 5/14- 6:30AM Men's Bible Study
  • WED 5/15- 8:00PM Elders' Meeting
  • THR 5/16- No Ricketts Bible Study this week
    • Pastor at IDW Board of Directors Meeting
  • FRI 5/17- Linda has day off
  • SAT 5/18- 6:00PM Worship at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
  • SUN 5/19- 8:45AM, last day of Sunday School & Bible Study
    • 10:00AM Baccalaureate Worship with Communion;
      • Graduating from MVAOCOU; Aric Colton Christiansen and Skylar Paige Kelm
      • from Denison-Schleswig; Crystal Laine Gierstorf, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Ann Jepsen, and Alyah Ignati Kay McCartney
      • and from Boyer Valley; Madison Rose Young

Sunday, May 05, 2019

This Week @ St. John


  • MON-TUES 5/6-5/7- Pastor at conference in Fort Dodge
  • TUES 5/7- 4:00pm LWML Meeting
  • THRS 5/9- 9:30AM Ricketts Bible Study
  • SAT 5/11- 6:00PM Worship with Communion at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
  • SUN 5/12- 8:45AM Sunday School & Bible Study
    • 10:00AM Worship
    • 11:00AM Finance Board Meeting
  • 'MAIN STREET LIVING'- Pastor Merrill will be hosting this LCMS/IDW television ministry on KCAU ABC 9, Sioux City at 10:00AM, Sunday, May 12. Set your DVR so you can come to church and see him in real life!

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

SPRING; Through Jesus' Resurrection, In Christ YOU are a New Creation

Dear Friends in Christ,

It's spring! As I have been driving through the countryside this spring I have noticed a lot of
newborn calves. Some of them are still very small and in need of a mother's constant care and
supervision. Newborn calves, baby chicks, puppies and kittens--there's a lot of new life to
celebrate in the spring!

New life is God's gift to us at Easter. Christ was raised from the dead, and that means we
are set free from sin to live as new creations in Christ. Lent in the early church was traditionally
the season of preparation for Baptism. At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday the candidates who
had been instructed were baptized, and on Easter, they began their new lives as children of God.
No wonder St. Paul wrote, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness oflife." (Romans 6:3-4 ESV) Easter, baptism, resurrection, new life-see
the connection?

The Introit for the Second Sunday of Easter begins with this antiphon from 1 Peter 2:2-3:
"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual mile, that by it you may grow up into
salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." Now that we have been reborn in
Christ, we are to "grow up" in our faith. What awaits us when we "grow up"? Salvation!
What do we need as we grow? What do babies need for growth? What are calves and kittens and puppies nourished on in the newborn stage of life? Milk! The spiritual milk Peter is describing is the Gospel, God's nourishing Word and in particular the good news of God's love for us in Jesus. All of our lives as children of God (which is every day of our lives), we are growing in faith as we are nourished on the pure Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

In May we observe Mother's Day, and as God's children we are reminded what a blessing Christian mothers are to their families. The example of the father is certainly important, as we heard in a recent sermon, but a Christian mother is often the primary spiritual caregiver for her children. Timothy's mother Eunice and grandmother Lois were instrumental in Timothy's faith formation. (2 Timothy 1 :5) Many of us can remember our own mothers reading us Bible stories, talking about faith with us, even making sure we learned our memory work!

A Christian mother is a special gift of God. As we remember our mothers this Mother's
Day, both those who are still living and those who have gone to be with the Lord, let us take time
to give thanks to God for the care that they have given us in feeding us with the pure spiritual
milk of God's Word. Let us pray for those mothers who are raising their children today, that they
themselves may drink deeply from God's Word so they can pass that Word on to their children.
Finally, let us rejoice in being children of God, and in the new life He has given us through the
resurrection of Jesus. In Christ you are a new creation! Hallelujah!

Peace to you in Christ,
Pastor Merrill