• Children's Music Plans, 2009-10 :  
  
  
• Reviews of Children's Music, Years 2007-8, 2008-9 :  
  
  
• Children's Music Plans for 2008-2009
  
  
• Chime Choir
  
  
• Choristers,  Youth Singers and  Chorister Chimes 1 and 2
  
  
• Parish Choir
  
  
• Nine, Nine and Four:  Lessons, Carols and Choirs, (December 7th, 2008)
  
  
• St. Nicholas Choir
  
  
• The (2008) Christmas Pageant:  our children presented the Story of Jesus' birth
  
  
• Worship Team
  
  

 

• Adult Education On Sunday Mornings:  September to May,  (after the 8:45am service)
  
  
• Adult SUMMER Study  Wednesdays 7-9 pm,  2009
  
  
• Alpha at St Johns'
  
  
• Brotherhood of St. Andrew
  
  
• Communion for Young Children
  
  
• Confirmation Class, year 2007-8
  
  
• Confirmation Sponsors
  
  
• Cursillo
  
  
• Daughters of the King
  
  
• Earn A Bible for 4th Graders
  
  
• EfM  ('Education for Ministry')  at St. John's
  
  
• General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA
  
  
• St. John's Leadership Seminar,  9/26/09,  9am - 12pm
  
  
• Library
  
  
• Men's Bible Study Groups (Wednesdays  6:30-7:30AM;   Saturdays  7-8AM)
  
  
• Precept Bible Studies
  
  
• Summer Sunday School,  for age 4,  through 5th Grade: begins June 21st, 2009.
  
  
• Teens' Bible Study on Sundays:   10:00 - 10:30AM.
  
  
• Tuesday Night Growth Group
  
  
• Vacation Bible School (VBS)
  
  
• Wyldlife Youth Ministry (Middle School).
  
  
• Youth Ministry (MIDDLE SCHOOL).
  
  
• Youth Ministry (HIGH SCHOOL).
  
  

 

• Acolytes
  
  
• Altar Guild
  
  
• Annual Meeting
  
  
• Blessing of the Backpacks
  
  
• Boy Scouts Troop 133
  
  
• Cathedral Shelter Christmas Baskets
  
  
• Coffee Hour
  
  
• Episcopal Peace Fellowship
  
  
• Foyer Groups
  
  
• Graduation/Senior Sunday  2009  was on  April 26th,  at the 10:45 AM service.
  
  
• Greeters Committee
  
  
• Green Thumb Brigade
  
  
• Habitat for Humanity
  
  
• Hanging of the Greens
  
  
• Healing Ministry
  
  
• Heifer Hoedown
  
  
• Intercessory Prayer Group
  
  

 

 

Our children presented the 2008 Christmas Pageant on Sunday December 21st,  2008  at 4:30PM.  The Pageant tells the story of Jesus' birth,  and is set within our service of Evensong.

Led by Janet Ohlson these vocalists and instrumentalists lead the 8:45 AM Contemporary Liturgy (practice is at 8AM Sunday).   All are welcome to join.

Learning From the Hymns,  posted 06-03-2009.

This July we will be doing something different for our Summer Study.  We will be Learning From the Hymns.  We’ll study six of our classic hymns in light of Scripture.  We’ll learn a bit about those who wrote them and find out why they were written.  We’ll take a good look at the lyrics and see how we can apply them to our lives today.  These hymns can affect our view of God and our life as Christians.  They bring praise to Jesus and comfort, joy and knowledge of our Lord to us.  Please join us for this time of study and fellowship.  There will be no homework!

Classes will be on Wednesday evenings  from 7:00pm - 9:00pm  on July 8th,  15th and  22nd.  Mark your calendars.  Come to one or come to all 3 sessions as your summer schedules permit.  Sign up in the Communication Center or contact Carol Beutler.

Posted 01-09-2009.

The Alpha program returns to St. John’s,  beginning on January 25  and running through March 29,  2009.

The meetings will be on Sunday evenings from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Contact David Ohlson for more information.

Posted August 25th, 2009.

St. John's Leadership Seminar,  Saturday, September 26, 2009,  9:00a.m.-12:00pm.

This seminar is for all leaders, potential leaders and those who want to develop their leadership skills. It is designed to help you develop and apply your gifts, talents and leadership skills in the church.

Topics that will be covered are:

Carol Beutler will again lead the Precept Bible Study this fall beginning also in September.  The emphasis will be Romans, chapters 9-11, The Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man.

Romans has been called the Constitution of our faith and the jewel in the crown of epistles.  Romans is foundational to our understanding of our Christian faith.  And the truths revealed are foundational to our experience of a victorious Christian life.  This epistle explains the nature of the righteousness that God commands from - and gives to - us as believers in Jesus Christ.  God doesn't go back on His promises.  He can always be trusted.  Romans 9 - 11 is an extended discussion of the subject of God's sovereignty -- election, predestination, and responsibility.

Part 3 begins with St. Paul's discussion of perplexing questions about the Jewish people.  It focuses on His choice of Israel and His faithfulness to His covenant.  Why were they refusing the gospel?  How does this new scheme of righteousness apart from the law relate to the privileged position of the Jews?  Have the promises contained in their covenants failed?  Where do Christians and Jews fit into His sovereign plan?

Please join us as we dig into the Scriptures and find answers to these questions.  The class is divided into 2 parts.  The first half is a discussion of the homework and the second half is an informative video.  You do not have to have been in the previous Romans studies to join Part 3.

There will be two classes:

Posted April 29th, 2009.

Son Rock, Kids Camp will be  June 22 - 26th, 2009,  from 8:45 a.m.  until 12:30 p.m.   VBS is for kids  4 years old  through 5th Grade Graduates. 

Registration is from April 26th until June 7th.   Forms are available in the parish office  Monday to Thursday,  or call  630-357-0467  to have one mailed to you.

Cost is $25 per child  (includes a Son Rock T-shirt and songs CD),  or $20 per child if you are registering  3 or more  related children. 

Don't miss out on all the fun:  skits,  Bible stories,  crafts,  songs,  games, and  snacks!   And do invite your neighbors!

We are looking for Junior Staffers  (6th grade graduates on up)  to help.   Please sign up at the VBS booth in the Parish Hall,  or call  Chris Barr.

Posted July 26th,  2008.

VBS  2008  was held July 14-18,  from 8:45AM to 12:30PM.

St. John’s was host to 114 children,  we had 24 junior staff volunteers and 31 adult staff volunteers.

The cost of VBS was 25.00 per student,  but this could not begin to cover the costs of the entire week.  Without the donations of craft supplies and food items,  we would not have been be able to support this outreach ministry to our community.

Thank you to all the parishioners who donated these items.

Suzanne Gutknecht.

click for Program Notes, (posted 09-06-2008).

MIDDLE SCHOOL MOMENTS,  What I learned at Vacation Bible School,  posted 07-22-2009.

Every year I start brainstorming.  What do most middle and high schoolers like?  What will challenge their thoughts?  What will allow them to relax?  What will make them feel appreciated?  What will help them get to know other kids they have never met before?

These are the questions I use to help me shape a plan for junior staff break times at Vacation Bible School.  Every summer our church is invaded by more than 100 kids,  many who do not attend church here,  to participate in a program that tells the story of God’s love and our opportunity for salvation through Bible stories,  games,  adventure,  drama,  crafts,  music  and snacks.  The program is excellent in every department.  Who expects the snack to reinforce the story of Jesus recruiting disciples to be fishers of men?  I was in awe of the licorice fishing line on a pretzel rod pole being cast out for goldfish crackers.  There is no opportunity wasted for kids to be grown in Christ.

Yet the middle schoolers often help each  classroom and area with childcare and leadership.  My agony is to take these servants and feed them.  Now I am horrible with food.  I try to avoid being in charge of snacks anytime ever.  But I do get excited to feed their souls.  So one year we watched and discussed movie clips.  One year we listened to current song lyrics to hear the message.  This year I settled on games.  So every day the junior staff would play a game together which would open us up to a discussion about the day’s bible story and what it might mean in our lives.

Some days kids would simply not be at their break.  The discussion would go on without them and later I would hear that responsibilities simply wouldn’t allow them a break.  It was no horrible tragedy for a kid to miss the break but it made me think of how easy it is for us to mix up what God’s work and what God’s call might really be in our lives.  It was tempting for some kids to just figure that they were there to serve and didn’t really need the break time.  I disagreed.  I maintained that especially while kids are still kids it is the most precious lesson to learn that our first step to any task is to sit with the Savior to hear what he has to say.  It was a serious lesson in my eyes to see that the break time as an opportunity to meet with Christ in community should remain a nonnegotiable no matter how busy it became elsewhere.  And the more I thought about it the more it disturbed me.  We are able to pull off this amazing Vacation Bible School that draws in new kids every year,  that spends hours daily to reinforce that this is the MOST important story ever told,  how God loved and died for you to invite you into an eternal relationship.  We invest heavily in makng this week happen so that kids would know what is most important.

Yet as adults we so often forget these same truths after kids finish fifth grade, or Confirmation.  Those are the years kids stop making it to Sunday School as often or they don’t see that break time as such a big deal.  They begin to invest less time in the community of those Sunday School classes and become less connected to each other and the Savior as a result.

Adults,  this underestimation of what it means to seek God and remain growing in him is something that can kill us.  Just like I need to remember,  then remind kids that these breaks are healthy for them,  so we as adults need to remember what it means to our lives to set aside some time for just me and God today,  not waiting until I am free from busyness before bonding together.  This is the point it has taken so long to get to.  As I pondered a way to draw kids to Christ in our break times,  I am reminded to not skip out on my own private connection to the Lord everyday, not just on the days when I have time,  but hopefully especially on the days I feel overwhelmed and grumpy.  This was the most vivid lesson I took home from VBS. I pray it is a place where God might be speaking to your hearts as well.  Michelle Zegarski

JUNIOR HIGH SERVICE PROJECT,  posted 07-22-2009.

The Junior High Youth Group Service Project needs your help.  As a service project, the Junior High Youth Group has volunteered to rake and turn the mulch in the preschool playground monthly.  This may seem like an odd chore,  but it’s part of the Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) regulations and is necessary in order to keep our license.  The regular raking of the area keeps the playground free of weeds,  twigs and sticks  and prevents mold from growing.

In order for the youth to do this good deed,  they need equipment.  If you have a potato fork or a metal garden rake which you can lend to us, please contact the church office at 1-630-355-0467.

The first raking of the season will be on August 30 prior to the preschool’s start date.

Thank you.

Posted April 10th, 2009:  The Cougars Game,  Monday June 8th, 2009.

Baseball season is underway!  St. John’s is going to see the Kane County Cougars playing Peoria,  a farm team of the Chicago Cubs,  on the evening of  Monday June 8th.  This is always a fun night.

The number of tickets must be finalized by April 27th,  so please see or call  Bob Turner SOON to reserve your tickets,  or for more information.

Tickets are still just $10,  we get a big discount from the Cougars for this special night,  half of the ticket price goes to the reduction of the mortgage!

Posted July 7th, 2008:  Following Up The 2008 Cougars Game.

65 parishioners and friends attended the Kane County Cougars game on July 1st, 2008.  We had great seats,  perfect weather,  a Cougars’ win  and lots of fun and fellowship.

Sometime next spring there will be an announcement about the date for our 2009 outing.  Please watch for it and consider signing up!  Bob Turner