Forms Out and Due June 3

All forms and information have been mailed out and should be in your home. All info is also available on the Faith Works webpage (see link below). With so many forms and payments coming in please help us out and return forms and payment by the deadline.

Online Payment Avalable

This year the church has started accepting online donations and payments so please take advantage of it. CLICK HERE to pay online.

Care Packages

LOMC offers optional care packages that parents/grandparents/etc. can give to their camper. Please fill out the form and return with payment directly to LOMC.

God bless and see all our 6th and 7th graders back this fall! We’ll miss you 8th graders!!!!!!!!!

We don’t just live… we Thrive!

Click any picture for a larger version.

 Last Thrive Event-Fellowship Events

 Thanks to everyone for a great year that went by QUICKLY.

Please seriously talk with your fellow Guides about GOALS for summer and fall (yes, even 8th grade groups). What things does your group need to work on, prepare for, be encouraged in this fall?

CLICK HERE for the main Rock Stars page.

We’re glad your son or daughter is joining us this summer for a great experience!

LOMC has received your registration and has let St. John’s know your child is participating. LOMC reported a couple of weeks ago that Rock Stars is full (the first summer camp to fill up) and we are getting excited about the trip next month.

Important Info:

• All forms and payments get sent directly to LOMC.
• St. John’s provides a $62 per person scholarship to LOMC. Please deduct that amount from what you owe LOMC.
• Travel Info: We leave together from St. John’s at 1:30p on Sunday, June 10. We intend to arrive back to St. John’s on Friday, June 15 around 9:30pm (possibly later, depending on the Fri. Night Festival).
• What-To-Bring: Please read carefully all of the items on the list provided by LOMC. Open-toed sandals will not be allowed outside. As we’ll do a lot of hiking, climbing and more- good shoes are a must. Big clunky shoes are not great for climbing and could makes things more difficult. Comfortable, tight fitting (in other words won’t slip off easily) and in good condition are the most important things to double-check before bringing those favorite pair of shoes.
• Care Packages: From our Faith Works trips, about 50% of the kids receive LOMC’s Care Packages. They have been a good deal in the past so please consider it. About 85% of the kids receive something from home whether an LOMC Care Package or simply a letter from home (or from Grandma, the dog, a friend, etc.). LOMC should also be providing a way online to email a camper (kids won’t be able to respond but they will get a print out). Of course we are only at LOMC part of the week so take that into consideration. Send something to your son or daughter! No kid likes to be the only one who never got anything!!! Please refrain from sending food or candy (not a good idea).
• Friday Night Festival: You might be confused and wondering whether you need to attend. At the end of the week on Friday nights, every camp individually gathers family and friends together and the campers put on a short presentation of stories, music and skits. Remember most campers come to camp and get picked up by parents or other family. Since we are traveling up together you’ll need to consider if you want to attend. The drive is just a bit over 2 hours one-way and the presentation is about 40 minutes at most. If you would like to attend (LOMC can also provide dinner that night for families) please make arrangements with LOMC. Otherwise, await your own family presentation from your camper when we return and the group will head back to St. John’s together after the Friday Night Festival.
• Camper DVD: Mr. Rob will be taking pictures non-stop all week and then will put together a slideshow DVD after we get back. You are certainly encouraged to bring your own camera as well!

Who’s Going?

• One or two counselors from LOMC

From St. John’s:

• Brinkman, Carson
• Erickson, Tyler
• Garza, Zoie
• Kullman, Alex
• Lenz, Jason
• Leaders: Mr. Rob and Randy Erickson

From Other Churches:

• Aaron from Oregon, IL
• Kayla from Lacon, IL
• Maya from Savoy, IL
• Cara from Urbana, IL
• Sophie from Urbana, IL

GREAT NEWS!

Between iWORD and Genesis, the youth raised $440 to benefit our mission trips to Ecuador. Every little bit of money raised helps benefit the children and adults we partner with in Ecuador. Our goal for the 2011-2012 school year was $400 and it was looking a little like we wouldn’t meet the goal this year.

We were under by $70 before our last meeting on May 6 and with our average offering coming in around $8 it wasn’t looking good. A $20 check here, $10 in cash there, $20 more dollars and yet another $20 donation from youth and their families brought our weekly total to $110 for May 6 giving us a grand total of $440!

Also that Sunday, Dashiell Koester and Hannah Eytalis came and led us in bracelet making! All the bracelets will be used in Ecuador and each color on the bracelet helps share the story of God’s love. A great Sunday all around!!!

Thanks to everyone who put a dime, dollar, penny or quarter in the offering this school year. We all make a difference!!! 

Click any picture for a larger version!

Our Jr. High ministry is sad to hear Pr. Dave is leaving but grateful for his ministry with us and excited for him and his family as they continue in their journey of faith. 

My Dear St. John’s Family,

In one of his letters, the Apostle Paul writes: “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:8). As I reflect on the last four years, I find those words resonate deeply with me. What a joy it has been to be here at St. John’s, sharing the gospel and also sharing our lives together. It has been an honor and privilege to be among you.

These feelings make it difficult to tell you that God has called me away from St. John’s. Last fall, I applied to the doctoral program in theology at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, the institution where Becca and I attended seminary. This February, Princeton notified me that I had been accepted to their program beginning in the 2012-13 school year.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s been a life-long dream of mine to teach theology at a seminary or university. I’ve often quipped to my wife that if I had a job where I could read books about God all day long and teach people what I’d learned, I’d be a happy camper. For this reason, the opportunity to immerse myself once again in study and to pursue a teaching vocation in the church was very exciting. After a lot of prayer, thought, and conversation, Becca and I concluded that God was indeed calling me to further graduate study, and we accepted Princeton’s offer. A few weeks later, as if in confirmation of this call, Becca was invited to interview at a Presbyterian church near Princeton. She expects an official call from them shortly, and will minister there during my studies. We will move back to the east coast this summer, and my final day here at St. John’s will be Sunday, June 24th.

There has been a lot of change at St. John’s over the last few years, and I know my departure might not seem to come at an opportune time. But I have confidence in two things: first, that pursuing a PhD at Princeton is God’s call for me at this time in my life. And second, that the same God who has led St. John’s over the last century of its life will guide it in years to come. This is God’s church; it is not the church of any one pastor. And God will guide and lead it. Bob Fisher and our Call Committee are working hard to find our next senior pastor. I wholeheartedly believe there are bright days ahead for St. John’s Lutheran Church.

It will not be easy for us to leave. I have loved serving you and being your pastor. I will always, always be thankful for the way the people of St. John’s welcomed me, affirmed me in my calling, encouraged me, and loved me-and not only me, but my wife and daughter as well. You are the church that called and ordained me; you are the church where I learned how to be a pastor; you are the church where my wife and I became parents. I don’t know how we would have made it through without the generosity, caring, and love we felt here. We will miss you all very much.

Becca and I covet your prayers in the weeks to come as we begin the process of saying goodbye and preparing for our new life out east. Please know that you will be in our prayers as well, and that we return thanks to God for all St. John’s Lutheran Church has meant to us.

May God bless you richly,

Pastor Dave Bruner

Music reviews of mainstream artist, Nicki Minaj and Christian hip-hop artist, KJ-52, as well as movie reviews of The Avengers and Men in Black 3 plus the video games Minecraft and Max Payne 3.

Check out the reviews in this month’s theParentLink

The May ParentLink explores failure and the fear of failure. Help your son or daughter look differently at failures in life. Check out this month’s edition for some ideas, comments and tips.

Find this month’s ParentLink Edition Here.

St. John’s Joy Zone Children’s Ministry is looking for junior and senior high youth to help with our Vacation Bible School.

SKY VBS takes place June 18-22 and is a huge favorite among the youth who help. Consider getting involved in this awesome week this summer!

CLICK HERE to learn more about registering to volunteer.

Email Joy Zone Director, Julie Holliday with any questions.