Saint John Evangelical Lutheran Church - Port Clinton, Ohio
“Growing Disciples of Jesus”
Worship: Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! You are invited to come experience the unconditional love of God in Jesus as it is proclaimed, experienced and extended when we gather to worship, to grow in faith, to participate in fellowship and to serve others.[More]
Disciple-Ship Quest: Moving towards God’s vision of “Growing Disciples of Jesus,” our creative Christian Ed Team has chosen the powerful name “Disciple-Ship Quest” for what was formerly called Sunday School. You are invited to join the journey. Classes are available for all ages from 3 year old through adult. [More]
St. John @ the Bay: Come and worship at Mother of Sorrows Church where our Lutheran Mission, St. John @ the Bay, is developing an emerging worship community that shares the Gospel and grows discipleship in those who live, work and visit on South Bass Island. [More]
Narrative Lectionary: The Narrative Lectionary is a set of Bible readings for our worship that tells the over-arching biblical story in a nine-month period. These texts sound the voices of Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Isaiah, Jesus, and Paul; and so enrich preaching and our life of faith.
[Summary & Schedule]
ADVENT … begins the weekend of December 1 and 2.
Midweek Advent Events will be held on three Wednesdays in December … December 5, December 12 and 19.
We gather for a light meal at 5:30pm. Guided conversation will be encouraged around the tables. We will read our focus passage; then move into Holden Evening Prayer, followed by an activity for all ages that arises out of our theme verse, and then out the door with a blessing by 7pm (or so.)
Our themes for our Midweek Events … include:
December 5: Overflowing Love (Philippians 1:9)
December 12: Rejoicing Always (Philippians 4:4)
December 19: Blessed Are You (Luke 1:42)
A Word Concerning the Season of Advent
Although the historical record is sketchy, it appears that our Advent arose out of a season of fasting to prepare for baptisms at Epiphany. By the sixth century, an eschatological emphasis was present. Our Advent comprises the four Sundays before Christmas. God comes, in the past in the history of Israel and the incarnation of Jesus, in the present in the word and sacrament of each Sunday and in the sufferings of our time, and in the future at the end of all things.
Liturgical advice to keep a meaningful Advent without a December-long celebration of Christmas is meant not to be a kill-joy, but to awake our longing for the surprising ways that God comes to us.
DSQ CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
The children of our Sunday morning DiscipleShipQuest ministry will be presenting the story of Christ’s Birth, “Manger Mania II,” on Saturday, December 8 at our 5:00pm Worship Service.
Worship will be held in the Parish Hall and a light meal will follow. Come to worship and witness the faith of our children!
WRAPPED IN BANDS OF CLOTH
CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP SCHEDULE
“A Little Bit Early” Christmas Worship @TheBay … Our first Christmas Worship service … “Wrapped in Bands of Cloth” will be held on South Bass Island on Sunday, December 23 at 3:00 pm at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church. Pastor Jim Lehman will be on the island leading worship. At the center of our worship is the amazing story of our Savior’s birth, who comes as a gift “wrapped in bands of cloth.” The worship concludes with the lighting of candles, to remind us that into the darkness, Light has come! This is indeed Good News for all the world!
CHRISTMAS EVE … DECEMBER 24
Candles, Carols and Communion … at 4:00 p.m. We gather late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. As we hear through Word and proclamation; as we sing beloved Carols; and as we experience God’s Love in the Lord’s Supper … we will discover again, that the Christ Child comes to us all, “Wrapped in Bands of Cloth.” Our worship concludes with the lighting of candles, to remind us that into the darkness, Light has come! This is indeed Good News for all the world!
Children and Families Service at 7:00 p.m. This “middle” service on Christmas Eve is a time specifically designed for Children and Families, as well as for those who still think of themselves, “young at heart.” Together we will discover that Christ comes as a gift for us and for all the world, “Wrapped in Bands of Cloth.” Worship will feature beloved Christmas carols, the Christmas story from Luke’s Gospel, a contemporary children’s story and Holy Communion, we will be led to see, through the eyes of our children, the wonders of this most Holy Night. Our worship concludes with the lighting of candles, to remind us that into the darkness, Light has come! This is indeed Good News for all the world!
Christmas Concert at 9:30 p.m.
A collection of talented members and friends will offer their gift of music at the manger, as we participate in this half-hour period of preparation before our celebration of our Lord’s Birth. Come, and allow, the sounds of the season to enliven your hearts and souls as we seek to greet, worship and receive the Newborn King.
Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship at 10:00 p.m.
This traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve service will be a time of joyous worship and praise as we add our voices to the heavenly host that invaded the earth that “holy night” and heralded our Savior’s Birth. In the darkness of this night we will discover that the Christ Child comes into the world, “Wrapped in Bands of Cloth.” We will sing many of our favorite Christmas carols, hear the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus’ birth, receive the gift of Holy Communion, musical offerings of praise and celebration by our Senior and Hand Bell Choirs. Our worship concludes with the lighting of candles, to remind us that into the darkness, Light has come!
The First Sunday of Christmas … December 29 and 30 … Worship will be held according to our normal weekend schedule … Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 9:00 am. These worship services will be centered in Lessons and Carols, as well as the celebration of Holy Communion.
CHRISTMAS EVE OFFERING
Over the past several years, St. John has chosen in light of our receiving the True Gift of Christmas, to give away the offering collected at our three worship services to local ministries that provide tangible signs of God’s love to those in need within our community.
This year the Church Council has selected two ministries …
Women’s Lighthouse Sober Living House and the Oak House
to receive the resources from this night of worship. Details about each of these agencies will be placed in future bulletins.
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Setting Switch With the arrival of the season of Advent we will be moving to ELW Setting 10 for our Sunday morning liturgy. As we move through the Church Year, we rotate among the four ELW services that we have “learned” over the years, (1,2,8 and 10). Setting 10 … with variations … will be used through the season of Epiphany. FILL THE GAP If you would like to include this vital ministry in your Christmas giving … this ongoing ministry, started years ago as a Community Needs Project by our Confirmands … is in need of household cleaning supplies, you know those things you have around the kitchen and bathroom for sprucing things up. These items cannot be purchased with S.N.A.P. cards, yet are “necessities” for daily life. You can drop off you gifts in the office or bring them with you when you come for worship. OFFICE CLOSED … The church office will be closed on Tuesday, December 25 and Tuesday, January 1 in observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. COMMUNITY NEEDS PROJECT … COMPLETE! On Friday, November 16 our six recent Confirmands, along with some parents and mentors delivered our collection of toys to Joyful Connections. We also had the opportunity to learn about their important in protecting children throughout Ottawa County as they offer a safe haven for supervised visits and exchanges.
On Friday, December 21 … the Longest Night … the community gathers at Firelands Presbyterian Church for worship at 7:00pm. This worship keeps in mind those in our community who have recently lost loved ones or who are living with life-altering circumstances. The goal is to provide a time and place of solace during the often-frenetic days surrounding the celebration of Christmas. Not everyone feels like celebrating. Grief, illness, aging, depression, loneliness, unemployment, and loss are magnified. Even those who are not struggling with losses may feel the stress of preparations and expectations around Christmas. In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 is the longest night, the winter solstice, which means literally "standing still." It marks the shortest day of the year, the official start of winter, when the sun is the farthest distance from the earth. In the gathering darkness of December, we anticipate the coming again of the Light of the world. It may only be the hope that marks Advent's waiting that keeps us looking toward the coming of Christ. It may also be that the blue of the Advent season (which symbolizes hope) is the very remedy we need for what makes us feel "blue" at Christmas. CROS+GEN LIFE CONFERENCE 2018 One of our values … those characteristics that are a part of the DNA of this congregation … is that we are always about NURTURING DISCIPLES. We would stop being St. John … if we would end our commitment to providing “meaningful opportunities for children, youth and adults to hear, learn and experience the good news of God’s love in Jesus.” From October 1 through October 4, Pam Boytim, Julie Frattaroli and Pastor Jim Lehman had a tremendous opportunity to learn about and to experience Cross+Gen Ministry. This event was held in Estes Park, Colorado at the YMCA of the Rockies. We were inspired and challenged by “big picture” presentations, case studies and workshops. The basic thrust of this approach to nurturing disciples is to gather children, youth and adults into one community, versus breaking age groups into separate classrooms. Here’s a question that is at the heart of this Cross+Gen Life, “What happens when the wisdom of the elder and the wonder of the child collide in the same sacred space every week?” Promise. Hope. Joy. Depth. Fun. Cross+Gen Life. The three of us who attended have met once to process our experience. We have identified some ways that we can implement some of what we have learned. You will have a chance to experience this at our Advent Events and at the Winter DSQ Kick-off. We will be doing some deeper reading of how this ministry has taken shape in congregations across the US. We will be praying about the ways that we can move into more significant commitment to nurturing children, youth and adults in Christian faith. This adventure was made possible through the generosity that has been provided through the Shela Fund, which is a part of the St. John Endowment. MUSIC MINISTRY NEWS The Handbell Choir … under the direction of Lisa Rider rehearses on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. Our Senior Choir, under the direction of Shelvin Burns, rehearses on Sunday mornings, except when the Handbell Choir is ringing, at 8:00 am. Come join one of our two outstanding choirs who provide leadership for our worship, as gifts and talents are shared!
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St. John LutheranWe are a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , whose offices are located in Chicago, Illinois.
We are also partners with the 162 congregations of the Northwestern Ohio Synod. The offices of the NWOS are located in Findlay, Ohio.
Local ELCA congregations in Ottawa and Wood Counties share mission and ministry through the North Central Conference.
Our congregation also participates in the Port Clinton Clergy Association and it’s seasonal worship and service opportunities.
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! On behalf of the people who gather to worship, learn and serve at St. John Lutheran Church, I welcome you to our Web site as you learn more about our mission.
You are invited to come experience the unconditional love of God in Jesus as it is proclaimed, experienced and extended when we gather to worship. It is our church's desire to grow in faith, to participate in fellowship, and to serve others
I am available to visit with you by phone, at your home or work place, or via e-mail. I would enjoy getting to know you better and answering questions you might have about the Christian faith, or what Lutherans believe, or any specific practices of this Christian community. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
Once more, in Christ’s name, welcome to St. John Lutheran Church. Come and join us as we seek to make Christ known.
Pastor Jim Lehman
OUR MISSION
We are a Christ-centered and caring congregation called by God to share the good news of salvation for all people.
OUR VISION
“Growing Disciples of Jesus”
