Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 24, 2021 Thoughts on Annual Family Meetings Jesus called people who fish because they know the ropes. From my first Annual Meeting 25 years ago to the one coming up Sunday, January 31, I’m always impressed by the solemn and serious nature from the people around me. Whether […]
Youth Group this week focused on the reconciliation message of Dr. Martin Luther King, and, in particular, on an Atlanta bishop who is known as the “dirty-fingernail Christian” because he gets out of the office and out on the streets. Bishop Rob Wright of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is known for taking Jesus’s first […]
Second Sunday after the Epiphany — January 17, 2021 “Great insight from youth can come…” My curriculum for the Seventh Grade Religion Class is planned during the summer of each year before St. John’s School begins. That’s important for you to know as I tell you that the lesson for this week’s class was the story […]
First Sunday after the Epiphany – January 10, 2021 [The following is an excerpt from my sermon on the Feast of Epiphany] “Epiphany has been celebrated from the earliest days of the church; as early as the end of the 2nd century, it became a solid part of the Calendar and of our theology. “Epiphany literally […]
Youth Groups are back from Christmas break! Middle Schoolers heard a mini-talk on how God doesn’t need us to be perfect, but just wants us to be the best people we can be. Kids also shared about their Christmas break activities. The High School & Beyond group were challenged by group leaders to carry three […]
Second Sunday after Christmas • January 3, 2021 Reverend Karen’s sister, Jo, is in the hospital being treated for COVID. Please keep Jo and her family and Rev. Karen and her family in your prayers. Let us pray: O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and […]
Merry Christmas to you and yours! St. John’s is featuring two Christmas services this year: • the recording of the Family Christmas Eve livestream service is right here. • the recording of the Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols livestream service is right here. On Christmas Day at 10 a.m., Bishop Diane Jardine Bruce led a multilingual […]
Christmas service information right here!
For the convenience of church members, the church office will be open until noon Thursday, December 31 to accept year -end donations. Alternatively, you may submit your donation online via credit card by using PayPal or Tithe.ly. You can find the PayPal link here and on the right side of the home page of the […]
Winter solstice, when the northern hemisphere sinks into its deepest point of darkness, creates the longest night of the year. Tonight, the Women Driver’s Interfaith Group and Hope 4 Restoration are honored to present a meaningful interfaith service to remember the 329 homeless children, women and men who died in 2020 in Orange County, without […]
Fourth Sunday of Advent • December 20, 2020 Christmas is a season of celebrations and special times. I hope you are able to recall when you were a child, awakening early on Christmas morning to the surprises left for you under the tree. The pleasures of now seeing your children – and perhaps grandchildren – repeat […]
Our fabulous Youth Group finished 2020 with this week with a reading of the Nativity story, online games, and the promise of a winter retreat in 2021. Mrs. Patti’s suggestion to YG members to read different versions of the Nativity is a good one for all of us. “So much comes alive for me when […]
Three hundred vulnerable and homeless children, women, and men died on the streets of Orange County this year from various causes. That’s the highest number of homeless deaths recorded in any year in our area. Their lives will be remembered and honored at the “Night of Remembrance Candlelight Vigil” livestream service on Monday, December 21 […]
Dear Church Family, In November I let you know about new tools we were making available to our entire congregation to invest in your financial healing and secure your stable future. We love you, and in this difficult season we want to offer you the gift of peace and contentment in your finances. We […]
Second Sunday of Advent December 6, 2020 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. These words, meant to lend support and comfort during the age of pandemic, have long been a motto for us at St. John’s, albeit using different words. This Sunday we have […]
The RSM Cares Food Pantry always needs extra hands to volunteer on food distribution day which is today, Wednesday, December 2! • Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, 30605 Avenida de las Flores, RSM. • Help needed all day — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — or for just an hour or two! • […]
First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2020 Beloved people of St. John’s, So here we are! After a long eight months, we begin a new church year this Sunday, November 29. Happy Advent! Happy New Year! While it seems impossible that we have not worshipped together in our sanctuary since Lent, we have discovered new […]
Last Sunday after Pentecost • November 21, 2020 Greetings of peace from God, the source of abundant blessings to all who notice the grace that surrounds us. The image of “Life as a River” has permeated my thoughts lately. Time, progress, and change are constantly moving us forward while we are caught (sometimes absent-mindedly) in […]
Our Youth Groups focus on outreach ministry in November and December. This month’s outreach was buying groceries for the Thanksgiving Food Drive sponsored by the RSM Cares Food Pantry. Their purchases contributed to helping feed 435 families for next week’s holiday. By 3 p.m. yesterday, the food pantry was well on its way to handing […]
Today’s RSM Cares Food Pantry provided 435 families with enough groceries for a full-on Thanksgiving dinner! The super efficient distribution asked recipients to enter a drive-thru line to receive their food bags packed to the brim with Thanksgiving treats, a turkey, and a $25 gift card. Behind-the-scenes scores of volunteers prepped bags, loaded them onto […]