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Jersey Shore Care and Share Food Pantry
located at St. John
See our newsletter and calendar for additional information.
Easter 2023!
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Annual Bazaar
The Women of the Church traditionally organize and hold the annual Christmas Bazaar. However, due to COVID-19, the annual Christmas Bazaar has been cancelled for Christmas 2020. Operation Christmas Child
November 12-19 For the past 25 years, we have been collecting shoeboxes filled with gifts and delivering them to children in need around the world. Each box is an opportunity for a boy or girl to experience the love of God in a tangible way and hear the Gospel. Need Ideas for your shoebox gift? Visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ. Do not include candy, toothpaste, gum; used or damaged items; war-related items; seeds, food, liquids or lotion; medications or vitamins; breakable items or glass containers; aerosol cans. Please bring your shoebox and $9 donation to the church office by November 4th. Visitation Team
As our shut-in list continues to grow I want to reconvene our visitation team to assist me in visiting the shut-ins and those needing support. Anyone interested in being part of the visitation team, please come to a meeting after worship on October 28 in the Choir room. I will train you in administering the Sacrament of Holy Communion and provide skills in visiting. If you cannot make the meeting and would like to be part of the visitation team, please call Pastor. Pastor will be offering the Sacrament of Holy Communion to the residents of Manor Care on Tuesday, November 6 at 2:00 p.m. Harvest Home & Endowment Meeting
Our annual collection of food donations for Harvest Home will be on Sunday, November 11. The St. John Endowment Fund committee will be meeting at the 10:30 worship service in the Choir room to review requests for Endowment Funds. Thanksgiving Service
The Nippenose Valley Ministerium will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving Service on Wednesday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m. at St. James Lutheran. The public is invited to attend. Congregational Meeting
The annual congregation meeting to elect new council members, elect synod delegates, and approve the 2018-2019 budget will be held after each worship service on Sunday, November 25. If you are interested in serving as a synod delegate, please let Pastor or Bill Ely know now. We need a male and a female candidate. Conference Assembly will be March 31 and Synod Assembly will be June 14 & 15. Homemade Apple Dumplings
We will be making Apple Dumplings on Thursday, November 1 at 5:30 PM. We need men and women to help prepare and make the apple dumplings; meet in the kitchen. Dumplings will be baked Friday morning and you can pick up your dumplings Friday 9-11 AM. Please fill out an order form and return it in the offering basket. Cost is $6.00 for 2 dumplings. Appreciation Dinner
On Friday, November 2nd the members of St. John will be honoring our local fire, police and EMS personnel who work throughout the year to keep us and our neighbors safe. We need help of both men and women to help cook, serve and clean up. Please meet in the Sunday School Room at 5:30 p.m. Oasis of Hope
Oasis of Hope will come Sunday, November 4 to speak about their ministry and the local sex trafficking problem. They will give a Temple Talk at each worship service, be available for Sunday School and meet with older youth during a luncheon after worship. All Saints Day
We invite all youth to join us celebrating our saints in heaven. We will meet Sunday, November 4 following the 10:30 a.m. worship service and have lunch with the older youth and adults. We will split and have an activity and craft, play a game and enjoy time together. Anniversary Booklets
We are looking for sponsors for the costs of making our Anniversary Booklet. Contact Bill Ely if interested, thank you. If you did not get one or would like another for a family member please pick one up at the church office. Fellowship at Restless Oaks
You are invited to join us on the third Wednesday of each month at the Restless Oaks for a time of fellowship. No reservations needed. Just show up at 11:30 AM in the back room and order from the menu. Rising Anew Campaign
We thank everyone for your support in paying down the loan and your continued commitment to the ministries of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church. For those who wish to contribute to the Rising Anew Campaign: make check payable to: "St. John Lutheran" with "Rising Anew" on the memo line. Place check in an envelope with your name on it, and then place in the offering plate. |
Trinity Scholarship
2018 Applications for the Trinity Lutheran Avis Scholarship are now available in the church office or download and print your own here. Applications must be returned to the office by March 1, 2018 to be taken into consideration.
Students must have completed one semester of college with a C or better grade average and have a declared major. Applications must be completed and submitted before March 1. Students who are members or former members of Trinity Lutheran and St. John Lutheran are eligible to apply or a member of St. John (which includes all former Trinity members) may sponsor a student for a scholarship.
The New Love Center Food Pantry
The New Love Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization with its own Board of Directors and is no longer affiliated with the Jersey Shore Ministerium. It is located at St. John Lutheran Church and has over 170 volunteers that operate the Cafe and Food Pantry and one paid cook at the Cafe. For emergency food assistance or other questions contact 570-772-3275. To follow on Facebook: @thenewlovecenter Food Distribution
Oct 12 & 26 and Nov 9 & 23 9AM–Noon & 1PM–3PM Dec 21: 8AM–3PM (Only 1 in Dec) *** Food delivery from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is on the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 AM. (exception in June, first wednesday) *** Boxes are packed the second Thursday of each month at 4:00 PM. *** Please speak to Betty Allen if you can volunteer at one or all of these 3 stages. Financial donations may be made to "The New Love Center" and mailed to: PO Box 504, Jersey Shore, PA 17740. -- Because we purchase food from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank at 18 cents per pound, we can buy food cheaper through the Food Bank. --30% of the food we give away comes from your donations. Thank you! The New Love Center Food Pantry is located at 229 South Broad Street, Jersey Shore, and is open the second and fourth Fridays of each month from 9:00 AM–noon and 1:00 PM–3:00 PM. Donations may be dropped off during the day or left in the red shed behind the church. We serve Linden, Jersey Shore, Nippenose Valley, Waterville, Cammal, Slate Run, Avis, Woolrich, and McElhattan. For emergency food needs for those living in our coverage area, Monday-Thursday, contact the Food Pantry at 570.772.3275. Please bring identification such as a driver's license or utility bill to verify where you live. A new program is offered the third Thursday of each month called Military Share for Veterans. A box of food, vegetables, milk, and eggs will be distributed to Veterans from 9 AM–11 AM at the American Legion. Veterans should bring their Military ID with them. Please sign-up by calling Melanie Rauch at the the American Legion. Our Backpack program is in the elementary schools. A small bag of healthy snacks are given to children in need each Friday to take home for the weekend. Parents must sign a permission form and return to their teachers to receive a backpack. The New Love Center Cafe invites everyone, regardless of race, beliefs, financial status, etc., for baked goods and meals at NO CHARGE. It is located at the rear of Trinity United Methodist Church, 1407 Allegheny Street, Jersey Shore (use Glover Street entrance). Open Monday–Friday – Baked goods and beverages at 8 AM – Lunches from 11 AM–12:30 PM, cafeteria style. Interested in being a Cafe Volunteer? Call 570.244.8838 (M-F, 9AM-2PM) or email [email protected]. We do have opportunities for students who need volunteer service credits to work in our kitchen. We keep track of hours and certify that they have completed them. Cafe donations: Food donations are accepted M-F, 8AM-1:30PM. Financial donations may be mailed to The New Love Center, address above. ***All donations are welcome, the cafe also has need for non-food item donations for the kitchen – Dawn Dish Detergent, paper towels, paper napkins, steel wool scribes, dishwasher detergent, gallon-sized baggies. Nondiscrimination Statement In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, the New Love Center is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Further information is available from the Food Pantry or Cafe. ----------------------------------------------- In the month of July 2018, The New Love Center Food Pantry served 393 families distributing food to 933 people. Senior boxes were distributed to 101 senior clients and 120 backpacks were distributed to youth in the Jersey Shore Summer Recreation Program. 240 volunteers donated 792 hours. The New Love Center Food Pantry is operated totally by volunteers. 3,318 pounds of food was donated. Double from last month.
In the months of September 2018, The New Love Center Cafe served 781 meals. Baked goods were available to all clients to take home. Besides 2 paid staff, our cook, Rosie, and our custodian, Fred, we had 49 volunteers who donated 170.75 hours. Donations of baked goods from Weis totaled 1607.84 lbs. and donations from individuals and organizations totaled 905.58 lbs. These consisted of canned goods, fresh produce, prepared foods from weddings, funerals, fundraisers, company picnics, etc. Global Missions
Liberia Meeting
Our synod is issuing a first call for anyone interested in joining either a work-team or a familiarization tour to meet the leaders of the Lutheran Church in Liberia and to tour the major facilities of the LCL, including historic churches, schools, and its two hospitals (Phebe and Curran)! A work team will repair the ceiling of Day Memorial Church and continue the renovation of small houses on the campus of the Lutheran Training Center. Don’t freeze at home this January. Visit tropical Liberia and be uplifted by God’s work in our companion synod. Learn more by calling Sandra Nelson (570) 995-9327 or Bob Bradford (570) 473-9505. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
In 2017, St. John Lutheran has received $1,204 through the Thrivent Choice program. I believe this is the largest amount received from Thrivent members since the program began. Thank you so much for supporting the ministries of St. John Lutheran. Just a reminder to Thrivent members you can apply for a Thrivent Action Team grant of $250 twice a year and initiate a community project that will benefit your neighbors. For additional information, check out Thrivent Action Team on the web site or contact Pastor Aucker on how you could benefit St. John and the community with free money. Youth & Family Ministry
The Youth and Family Ministry committee meets the third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. to plan future events. We need additional parents as well as High School age youth to participate in the planning. Depending upon what is happening we do not always meet. Check with Molly. Weis Certificates
As a special fundraiser for church projects we are selling Weis Markets gift certificates each Sunday after worship or from Molly Tuesday–Thursday during office hours. You can buy $10, $20, $50, $100 certificates. You pay $10, take them to the store and use them like cash to buy $10 worth of groceries. The church earns 5% from Weis Markets. While that may not seem like much, if 100 families in the congregation spend $100 per week on groceries that 5% would add up to $26,000 per year with very little effort other than buying and reselling them. It is a great way to support the youth ministries of St. John. 
“Grab-a-Tab”
The youth of St. John would like to ask for donations of little tabs from beverage, soup and dessert cans. It doesn’t matter what color the tab, just grab them and deliver them to the church office. This project will benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Danville. “Grab-a-Tab” program allows people of all ages to join in the effort of providing a “Home-away-from-Home” to children with cancer or other serious illnesses and their families. | ||||||
Recent Youth Achievements
2018 News: Congratulations to Max Ferguson, who was elected Region President for the upcoming year and will lead one of the largest FBLA Regions in Pennsylvania.
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2017 News:
Jersey Shore FBLA is proud to announce that Max Ferguson campaigned and was elected to the PA FBLA State Officer position of Vice President at Large and his term of office continues throughout the 2017-2018 school year.
Congratulations to the following National Qualifiers:
•Beatrice Ferguson – 1st in Electronic Career Portfolio
•Gabrielle Moore and Kendra White – 1st in the State for their Local Chapter Annual Business Report
We are very pleased to announce those who made top 10:
•Max Ferguson – 5th in Public Speaking 1
•Beatrice Ferguson – 5th in Who’s Who in PA FBLA (Beatrice also receives a $500 scholarship with this award).
*Hannah Wool – 1st Place in Business Computation
*Arrabella Fiedler – 2nd Place in Business Computation
Each year PA FBLA selects a State Project that all chapters across the state can participate in to provide community service hours and raise money throughout the school year. The 2016-2017 project was the National Kidney Foundation with PA FBLA raising $55,190. Jersey Shore received 7th place in the state raising $1,973 for this project, in addition to our awareness activities for the cause.
Beatrice Ferguson received recognition as a member of the National Business Honor Society and was officially induced at the State Leadership Conference (held on April 30, 2017).
Congratulations to St. John members: Beatrice and Max Ferguson, Arrabella Fiedler, Gabrielle Moore, Hannah Wool and Olivia Anne Eisner, who placed 5th in photography at the Technical Student Association (TSA) Competition.
2018 News: Congratulations to Max Ferguson, who was elected Region President for the upcoming year and will lead one of the largest FBLA Regions in Pennsylvania.
___________________________________________________________
2017 News:
Jersey Shore FBLA is proud to announce that Max Ferguson campaigned and was elected to the PA FBLA State Officer position of Vice President at Large and his term of office continues throughout the 2017-2018 school year.
Congratulations to the following National Qualifiers:
•Beatrice Ferguson – 1st in Electronic Career Portfolio
•Gabrielle Moore and Kendra White – 1st in the State for their Local Chapter Annual Business Report
We are very pleased to announce those who made top 10:
•Max Ferguson – 5th in Public Speaking 1
•Beatrice Ferguson – 5th in Who’s Who in PA FBLA (Beatrice also receives a $500 scholarship with this award).
*Hannah Wool – 1st Place in Business Computation
*Arrabella Fiedler – 2nd Place in Business Computation
Each year PA FBLA selects a State Project that all chapters across the state can participate in to provide community service hours and raise money throughout the school year. The 2016-2017 project was the National Kidney Foundation with PA FBLA raising $55,190. Jersey Shore received 7th place in the state raising $1,973 for this project, in addition to our awareness activities for the cause.
Beatrice Ferguson received recognition as a member of the National Business Honor Society and was officially induced at the State Leadership Conference (held on April 30, 2017).
Congratulations to St. John members: Beatrice and Max Ferguson, Arrabella Fiedler, Gabrielle Moore, Hannah Wool and Olivia Anne Eisner, who placed 5th in photography at the Technical Student Association (TSA) Competition.
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Church Groups
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Companion Synods
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Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL), Liberia The Rev. Brian and Christine Palmer - Brian serves as Instructor/Educator at the "Lutheran Center for Biblical Studies" at Totota; Gbarnga School of Theology, (Ecumenical Seminary) at Gbarnga |
St. Wunibald, Heidenheim, Germany
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Ansbach Region, Germany
Our Sister Church: St. Wunibald Evangelical Lutheran Church at Heidenheim, Bavaria - Pastors Annette and Klaus Kuhn |
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