St. John Lutheran Church
Seek the lost, Nurture the Faithful, Show Compassion
Shine in the Light of Christ
Current News
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7
Devotion:
God’s Plan of Redemption Trumps Earthly Destruction and Violence
There are signs of the Lord’s coming all around: the cross that marks His Church, the violence and death of the sinful world, and the shaking of the natural order. “There will be great distress upon the earth” (Luke 21:23), but the faithful know that “the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:31). Therefore, “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Be awake and alert, and heed the words of Christ, which “will not pass away” (Luke 21:33). For you, “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2). He sends His preachers of repentance in the spirit and power of Elijah “before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:5), in order to “direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). Although you are often faithless, “the Lord is faithful,” and by the preaching of His Word “He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Therefore, “do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13). In the midst of calamity, believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer List Requests: If you would like a prayer request published, please contact the Church Secretary at 580-353-0556 or email at stjohnlcsec@gmail.com. What a friend we have in Jesus...take it to the Lord in Prayer.
-Larry Ahlden |
-Kinley Parker |
-MINISTRIES- |
Life Quotes: “When life around us is dark and despairing, when troubles are real and overwhelming, when our hurts outweigh our joys, take a moment to think about God’s beautiful creation given for us as a ‘good and perfect gift.’ Take a moment to remember that we have another Light in our world—our Lord Jesus Who is the Creator of all things and is the light of men.
Life Thoughts In The Church Year: As the days draw closer to Christ’s return, we have witnessed people brought before kings and governors for the sake of Jesus’ name and the truth that every life is precious in God’s sight, just like Jesus warned (Luke 21:10-12). But don’t be afraid! “This is your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:13)! We can go out “leaping like calves from the stall” (Malachi 4:2), proclaiming the sanctity of all life because we know that God promises to “give you a mouth and wisdom” (Luke 21:15) and that the “sun of righteousness” shall soon “rise with healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2).
The flowers on the altar are given to the glory of God by Tiffany Penton in honor of the veterans. We wish God’s richest blessings up on Tiffany.
Altar Flowers: If you would like to place flowers on the altar for an Anniversary, Birthday, Memorial or other special occasion, please remember to sign up on the “Flower Chart.” Please sign your name and the special occasion. The cost is $75.00 for both arrangements. It is permissible to have more than one person sign up for a Sunday and split the cost. You can also call the office at 580-353-0556 and Sandra will sign you up. Please make note that if you sign up for flowers they will be seasonal flowers unless you have a special request you have to let Betty Aliff or Sandra know a WEEK IN ADVANCE. The cost will remain $75.00. If you have any questions, you can always call the church and talk to Sandra.
Remembering Our Saints
Mike Hughes – November 2, 2024
Zelma Westfall – January 23, 2025
Bill Pletch – January 28, 2025
Tam Cliburn – January 28, 2025
Denny Kerr – February 5, 2025
Elizabeth Martin – March 12, 2025
Vivian Fritsch – March 19, 2025
Lena Dorscher – June 24, 2025
Ron Rammimg – July 1, 2025
Jeff Roth – July 4, 2025
Patty Erickson – July 6, 2025
Robert (Pletch) Boykin – August 8, 2025
Barbara Moore – September 7, 2025
Please note for security reasons if you come into the church from the north door or the kitchen and there are people in the office please make them feel safe and announce yourself.
Announcements! In order to ensure that announcements are included in the weekly bulletin please have them into the office by Thursday at 1 p.m. Click below to submit an announcement. We want to help you get the word out. Our office hours are Monday – Friday 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. with an hour lunch from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS: Please join us for Sunday School from 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Whether your child is new to St. John or has been attending for years, we offer a nurturing environment where they can explore God's Word in age-appropriate ways. Our dedicated teachers are passionate about helping children understand Biblical truths and apply them to everyday life. We can't wait to grow together in faith! This week's lesson focuses Sunday School News: This week's Sunday School lesson focuses on God's faithfulness to us in keeping His promises and how God fulfilled His promise to Abraham to give him as many descendants as the stars in the sky. This week's memory verse is, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." ~ (Hebrews 11:1)
Upcoming Dates:
November 30 - No Sunday School
December 14 - Christmas Program
December 21 - Christmas Party
December 28 - No Sunday School
Voter's Meeting. Please put our upcoming Voter's Meeting on your calendar. It will be held immediately after Church on Sunday, November 9th. We have several very important items to vote on. We will approve a 2026 budget, vote for Church officers and update the congregation on some other key issues affecting the Church (the roof and HVAC, the interior plans, etc.). Your vote is important. We, the members of the Church, are the body of Christ here in this place. Please join us and let your voice be heard.
Security. Due to ongoing security issues, we are forced to make security changes for entrance into the church and within the church. The main entrance to the church will be through the entrance doors from the parking lot. The kitchen door will only be opened by the inside push bar. Please ensure if you open any doors to the outside, the door is locked back when shutting. Also, if you open a door and prop it open, someone needs to visibly see the door. Any questions or concerns, please contact me. Phil Fritsch 580-483-3224
The church directory’s have arrived! See Sandra after church today and she will give you one. If you need one mailed to you must give her a call and she will put one in the mail to you. I would like to say THANK YOU for your patience.
You can also access the pictorial directory on-line by Logging into your account in top right corner. Navigate to >ABOUT US >MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY. Call or see Jonathan Mackay, 808-343-0291, if you are not able to login with your account.
Concordia Resource Program. Did you know Concordia has a wonderful resource program that you can sign up for and get great benefits. You can get free shipping with qualifying orders, discounts and member-exclusive offers. There is a order form on the credenza in front of the office with lots of offers. Sign-up at cph.org/resource-program.
Women’s Bible Study - Step into the world of Psalms as we read and discuss Everlasting by Christina Hergenrader. We meet each Wednesday in the LWML room at two different times: 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. The cost of the book is $17 and can be purchased at Bible Study. Hope to see you there!
LWML Special Collections: LWML will be collecting the following through the end of the year for those in need in our community: Warm hats and gloves, socks, thermal wear, t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants, etc. Please place them in the basket marked that is under the mailbox tables.
Lawton Food Bank: It is time for St. John’s annual peanut butter and jelly drive for the Food Bank. So, for the months of October and November our goal will be to collect as much PB&J as possible to help those in need. Let’s challenge ourselves to beat last year’s collection of 1,389 pounds. We can do it! This year, we have a chance to spread it on even a bit thicker! (UGH! Terrible pun!)
Help Is Needed! Our preschool is in need of a few items. The items needed can be picked up anywhere you do your shopping. You can drop them off at the church office or take them to the preschool. The list is on the insert and will easily slip into your purse or pocket.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS: Please join us for Sunday School from 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Whether your child is new to St. John or has been attending for years, we offer a nurturing environment where they can explore God's Word in age-appropriate ways. Our dedicated teachers are passionate about helping children understand Biblical truths and apply them to everyday life. We can't wait to grow together in faith! This week's lesson focuses on gratitude and building a personal relationship with Jesus. Our memory verse of the week is: "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever." ~ Psalm 106:7
Mission and Volunteer:
If you are looking for a way to serve the church? We need help with the altar duties. The sign-up sheet is on the table in front of the Bible Study Room.
There are many ways that we are able to serve the Lord. One way is to serve as either an usher or a greeter. It takes just a moment of your time, but means so much to our members. Thank you to all who signed up to be a greeter. All months have been filled. There is however, still a need for ushers. Sign up today and take an active part in this ministry here at St. John.
Please don’t forget, we are always collecting pull tabs and aluminum cans. The funds from our efforts aid various outreach programs.
The Lutheran Hour can be heard every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on K-LAW 101.3 FM. You can also download The Lutheran Hour app for free and listen anytime, anywhere. Find it on the Apple app store, the Amazon Kindle Fire and on Google Play. Or simply listen on your desktop, tablet or smartphone at www.lutheranhour.org.
Did you know you can email your Board of Directors? Their email addresses are listed on the Membership Directory page, dedicated to St John Members only. To do so, Login in the top right corner of stjohnlawton.com and navigate to "> About Us > Membership Directory". If you have issues with login or need to submit for one, please call Jonathan Mackay at 808-343-0291.
Giving opportunities. St. John Lutheran now has several ways to give your offerings. You can select GIVE on the top menu bar or down below at the bottom right of each page on this website. Of course, you can still use your envelopes.
Internet Church Calendar: If you are having issues seeing the whole month calendar on your phone, we suggest you rotate your phone to the "Landscape" position, i.e. sideways. Then you will be able to see the whole month. Click here to access the Church Calendar
