Journal (Page 6)
November 2022 Newsletter
Bringers of the Good News of Jesus Christ! I’ve always found that during Autumn there is a certain kind of spirit among people everywhere that is kinder, gentler, and just overall more peaceful and loving than other times during the year. I believe that this is because of the types of celebrations that families and friends enter into during this upcoming season of hope, joy, peace, and love. Clearly, I’m talking about the Advent season, which points to Christmas when…
October 2022 Newsletter
Spread Some Joy! “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,a if any tenderness and compassion, then make my JOY complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:1-2). Throughout the past month I noticed that the back of the bulletin was getting quite full of upcoming activities at Saint John. I must say that it brings my heart joy that we…
September 2022 Newsletter
Fruit Bearing Christians The above Scripture uses metaphor (symbols) that are intended to remind the reader of a future tree of life similar to the one in the Garden of Eden. However, it is not just speaking about a literal tree that bears fruit but a symbolic tree that represents God and His people. Think of it this way: The tree itself is a symbol for the life-giving breath of God while the leaves represent God’s people. Lastly, the fruit…
August 2022 Newsletter
Introduction A Day of Worship or a Life of Worship? I think it’s safe to say that for most people, when they hear the word “worship,” they think of Sunday worship service. This makes sense because Sunday “worship” has been embedded into the Christian culture ever since the early church was formed, and yes—there is evidence in the New Testament that the Christians gathered for worship on Sunday, which they considered the Lord’s Day (1 Cor. 16:1-2; Rev. 1:10). The…
July 2022 Newsletter
One Year Together & Another Year in Front of Us! What an odd headline to start this newsletter off. Usually you see headlines like that at the beginning of the new year; however, the truth is that July 4th marks our first full year together, and I hope you can say that it has been a wonderful year because that is how Evelyn and I feel. A lot has happened this past year at Saint John and much of it…
June 2022 Newsletter
The Joy of Saint John & The Heartbreak of God’s People During the last few days of every month, I take some time to mediate on what to write about for the upcoming monthly Saint John Newsletter. During my meditation, I reflect on recent events that are happening in the life of the church at Saint John, and I also reflect on what is going on in the world. I must say that when I think about Saint John and…
May 2022 Newsletter
Looking Forward to Everyday Christianity On April 17th Saint John had a wonderful Easter worship service that celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, it will be remembered as the highlighted worship service of the year—as it should be. So, how do you follow that? You don’t, which is why I preached on the idea of “mundane Christianity” the following week. If you missed it, the sermon is now uploaded on the website (check it out when you have a…
April 2022 Newsletter
SPRING TO LIFE!! Spring is notorious for new things—namely for its abundance of life. It is a time when God begins to redress His creation with blossoming flowers in the fields, the trees begin to show their leaves, and it’s as if God calls the birds in the sky to sing a new song that can be heard as the sun rises in the morning. Yes, Spring is certainly a beautiful time of year! However, for the Christian, the central…
March 2022 Newsletter
The Lenten Season—A Time of Preparation Just the other day, I noticed a few of the flower bulbs that Evelyn and I planted in the late fall began to sprout up from the ground, and I got the sense that Spring is nearing. On March 13th we will turn the clocks forward and although an hour of sleep will be lost, the days will become longer and Spring will finally be here on March 20th, as if we needed a calendar…
February 2022 Newsletter
Looking to God’s Plan for Saint John Last month, I wrote in the Newsletter article that “. . . we are now standing with the door of 2021 shut behind us asking the question: What lies ahead?” I believe that God is always desiring us to ask this question, and not just to ourselves, but of Him. In other words, we should be constantly looking to God to lead us into tomorrow. Why? because He has a divine plan and…
January 2022 Newsletter
Hello, within the next few months Saint John will be switching over to a new format for the monthly newsletter. Currently, we are using a pdf format; however, it is simply just a copy of the physical format that we send out as a mailer each month and is not intended for digital publishing. The new format will be more interactive and include: web links, video, and more photography, and searchable texts. In the meantime — we will continue to…