This week at School of Life, the youth will be taking their spiritual gift inventory, using tests designed by Church Doctor Ministries. These are the same tests that will be used by the church as a whole in the coming months. It should be exciting.

Besides that, we have a few important things. First, anyone going on the summer mission trip needs to get me a filled-out medical release form ASAP. I wasn’t paying attention and forgot they were due 60 prior to the trip. Here’s the form: YOM Liability Waiver – Domestic. We will also hand it out at the meeting if anyone hasn’t received it.

Second, the Lutherhaven Work Weekend is next weekend. For those who want to travel up Friday night with me, we’ll be leaving from the school at 6pm on the 25th. Parents are free to drive their child, or bring them up Saturday (for those of you who are gone Friday night on the 6th grade trip).

You’ll need a release form for this as well. The link is http://www.lutherhaven.org/sub_summercamp/summer2012/forms/program%20info/medform.pdf

Also, here’s a list of things to pack and a schedule: http://www.lutherhaven.org/sub_summercamp/summer2012/forms/program%20info/FWW2012.pdf

If you have any questions, feel free to ask Zach or me.

Also, come to the Annual meeting. We’ll have a short Powerpoint presentation on the youth for the Youth Board report.

Nick

Tonight, while everyone’s at the St. John Auction (you are going, aren’t you?), the youth are babysitting all the poor children who can’t go. Brianna Lehman came up with the Star Wars theme in honor of May 4th (May the Fourth be with you!). It should be a good time, with activities such as build-a-droid and Blind Man’s Bluff, Jedi edition.

At the end of the month, we’re off to Camp Lutherhaven for their work weekend. All 15 spots are currently filled. I’ll be handing out info at next week’s SOL meeting and also posting it here.

Our first Mission magazine has been doing well. We’re working on getting a second one out once I line up the new offerings.

As for our weekly meetings, we’re still (slowly) making our way through lessons on who we our according to God. Next week, we’ll be talking about how each person has a unique place in the church. We’ll follow this up with a spiritual gifts test. As part of Healthy Churches Thrive, everyone in the church will eventually take this test. It should be an encouraging and interesting discussion with the youth.

All right, that’s all I have for now.

Nick Hayden

First, please read the entire report and begin praying each day for St. John and this process.

Second, pray about what recommendations call to you and that you might want to be involved with.

Soon the Action Planning Task-force will meet and distribute the recommendations to the groups throughout the church that are responsible for each area. If there are specific recommendations that you feel you are being called to help in please let Pastor Bob or myself know so we can get you into those groups to help write the action plans.

We will be required to turn our Action Plans into Tracee within 90 Days and they will help evaluate them to help us stay on track.

Also, in the next week our Vision Team members will be receiving an email to decide on the date for our first Learning Community meeting where we’ll start the DVD series. This is another exciting step in making sure we have our world view’s in line with biblical teachings.

Finally, if you are part of a small group or want to be please contact me so I can help you plant the seeds for the 70 Day’s of Vision campaign coming this Summer/Fall.

So, there it is. Lot’s to get going on. Please keep the process and our leaders in your prayers while we go through this exciting pilgrimage!

Blessings,

Zach Hayden

Vision Team Leader

As  you read through the recommendations we ask that you start with prayer. Please pray that God’s will be done at our church and that we continue to look towards him and what his plan is for our church. Also, please read with an open mind to what God may want us to do to further his work her at St. John.

If you are interested in helping with the action plans and movement of this process please contact one of the Pastors or Zach Hayden (mrhayden@haydensata.com).

P. S. We hope to have a video recording of the Oral Report presentation online in the next week or so.

What say you?

Pastor Bob Shriner

Secondly, on Sunday we’ll be given recommendations based on our strengths and weaknesses during our Oral Report from 1-3. After church join us for a light lunch and then stay for the results of the surveys and interviews that have taken place at St. John over the last two months. Every church needs a check up, every once in a while, to see how we can better serve Christ and this Oral Report is going to let us know what we can improve and what we’re doing well.

Please join us this Sunday so we can help St. John be an even better servant for Christ in our world!

Easter Recap

The youth had a busy weekend.

• Good Friday – The youth did their first Cross Walk. We had 16 youth walk the ~1.5 miles from Hayden Honda to St. John carrying 7 crosses. We even got a front page picture in the News-Sun! It was a great event for both representing our faith in Jesus Christ and helping the youth identify with “taking up our crosses” and following Jesus.
• Saturday night – After setting up for Easter breakfast, the youth participated in 7 “Transformation Stations,” physical actions used to help the youth reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus.
• Easter Breakfast – The pancake breakfast was a great success! We made some of our first money for the summer missions trip, and we served some yummy food. We also introduced….

SOL Mission Magazine

We decided to try fundraising for the mission trip a little differently than usual. We’re putting together magazines of goods and services offered by the youth, individualized for each person going on the mission trip. There are some great, creative offerings available, not just the usual food products. I encourage you to let the youth show you how talented they are.

Here’s a copy of the first magazine: Mission Magazine – Issue 1.  More are coming.

Also, updates will appear first at fundraising.sjlc.net. Also, we hope to include more videos introducing you to the youth.

Lutherhaven Work Weekend

We still have openings for the work weekend at Camp Lutherhaven Memorial Day Weekend. It’s free. They provide the food and lodging, the youth provide the hands ready to work. Zach and I will be unable to be there Friday evening or Saturday; we have a female chaperone for those days, and a male through Saturday afternoon.

Here’s the slip to sign to indicate you’re coming: Camp Lutherhaven Work Weekend We could still use a male chaperone for Saturday night. Or even all weekend!

Our New Bible Lesson

We’re starting a three-week series on our identity in Christ. Who does God say we are? We’ll be tackling that question, starting with the fact that while culture expects you to change your identity based on your current surroundings, Jesus wants you to be the same in every situation. Who we are is always determined by who God says we are.

And finally…

There will be no SOL next week, April 21. Zach will be out of town at a Taekwondo tournament, and I’ll have just returned from D.C. with the 7th & 8th graders.

More specific details regarding the youth’s babysitting during the St. John Auction also coming very soon.

Until, then!

Nick Hayden

First, would you please take a few minutes each day to pray for St. John, it’s staff, and our journey through the Healthy Churches Thrive Pilgrimage? We need to continue to seek God’s will for our lives and our church. We are on the verge of some exciting challenges and opportunities and your prayers for the church and HCT would be greatly appreciated.

Second, please mark your calenders for April 29th. This is the day that our Church Doctors will be back to give their oral report about suggestions for our church. I am very excited for this event and can’t wait to kick God’s mission for St. John into high gear. But we need to make sure EVERYONE is there. Yes the weather outside might be great that day. You’re lawn might need mowed. You may want to go on a short day trip. I ask that you reserve this date in your calender and encourage ALL of your church friends to do the same. There is nothing more important then the work we do for God. Let’s not forget that!

Oh…and on a side note…This week the LCMS announced on Facebook (and I’m sure other places) a new logo and some new marketing materials. You would not believe (or maybe you would) the outcry from people about the fact that the color of the cross is now blue vs. burgundy. Now of course humans are not fond of change and that seems to go double for us Lutherans but we need to remember the things that are eternal and the things that can (and should) change with the times. We’ll be studying more about this in our 70 Days of Vision Campaign this summer!

A quick newsletter this weekend, because it’s a crazy week for me.

First, we’re having an event called the Cross Walk. On Good Friday, we’re walking from Hayden Honda to St. John, via US 6 and Main, carrying crosses. At the last youth meeting, we discussed the idea of taking up our crosses and following Jesus, and this is a physical embodiment of that idea to help the youth get a sense of it.

Second, this Saturday night (April 7), we’re meeting at the church for our meeting. We have a special Easter worship event planned; again, we’re trying to help the youth experience the meaning of Easter instead of just hearing about it. Ask them about the event after Saturday night.

Finally, the youth of running the Easter Breakfast. Come and enjoy! We’re taking free will offerings for the mission trip.

He is Risen!

~Nick Hayden

Maunday Thursday – 7:00 pm in the sanctuary

Good Friday – 1:00-3:00 pm Tre Ore Service (come and go as you please) as well as the Tenebrae Service at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary

Easter Sunday – Sunrise service at 6:30 in the sanctuary followed by Easter Breakfast provided by the youth from School of Life. We will then have our regular Sunday school and education hour starting at 9:20 followed by a Easter Festival Service in the sanctuary and worship center at 10:30.