Well… we made it! Never imagined I would EVER travel with 16 young adults (and I am sure Dana and Nick feel the same way)! The travel went smooth, although we just made the plane in Atlanta… phew! Our first two days were pre- NYG and so we used that time to explore the area, to experience the culture and to enjoy the company of one another! To say this time was uneventful would be a lie! There has never been a dull moment with this group. From Pigeon whispering, pastor participating in a street show on Bourbon St. or his getting lured in byRead More →

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29 For thirty years Jan filled an important role to this congregation as she loved and supported our Pastor in Pastor Blackwell. Not only did she love pastor and her family, but she was a strong, funny, witty and dedicated presence at St. John’s. We will forever be grateful for her dedication to St. John’s and much of her influence continues on in my own wife, in our Sunday School and Christian education programs, and inRead More →

Did you know that October 31st marks the 507th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation? I’m sure you remember, Martin Luther a monk and priest serving in the Church of Rome wished to speak on some matters that were concerning him as it pertained to the current teaching of the church. To get the attention of Church leaders and theologians, Luther nailed 95 statements to the church door in Wittenberg Germany (It was kind of like a blog page today– I guess).  Unfortunately, the Church of Rome didn’t respond favorably, but Luther insisted, persisted and stood his ground! And while there were many matters heavy onRead More →

Greetings Friends, I hope you all have had an enjoyable summer! I suspect if you and your family are anything like me and mine, you’ve been PLENTY BUSY! And… I suspect with the up and coming school year, fall programing and sports; things probably won’t change much. We always seem to have SO MUCH TO DO and with so much  to do perhaps we miss out on other things that are important for our lives. So much of our lives can be a juggling act as we consider our packed and overflowing schedules.  I like this quote from Martin Luther : “I have so muchRead More →

This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. As I was selecting hymns to send to Camden so he can practice and record, I came across two beautiful hymns that I think fit the theme of Pentecost well. These hymns may not be all that familiar to you so I thought I would send a recording of each if you wished to hear it before the weekend services. I hope to use the closing hymn again on Confirmation Sunday which will be on June 2nd this year.Read More →

We have been praying for Jaclyn for quite some time. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit and chat with her this morning and I an so grateful for the conversation. Shortly after Jaclyn left my office she received a phone call from her oncologist and she learned the difficult news that her cancer has spread to the bone and she has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. This is not curable… at least from the perspective of things on this side of God’s kingdom.  While we cant begin to understand or comprehend why things happen as they do; here is what weRead More →

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1 The word WONDER can be understood as “a feeling of surprise and appreciation caused by something beautiful or out of the ordinary. “ We’ve all felt surprised, excited, thankful and maybe even had our breath taken away by something extremely  special and out of the ordinary.  On April 8th, the God of creation (Genesis 1 & 2) is surprising us with something out of the ordinary and beautiful in his creation through the solar eclipse. How awesome it will be to see and the experience of God’s handiwork and artistry!  ItRead More →

Join our very own CAMDEN CHURCH for an afternoon of music from your favorite shows/movies like “Stranger Things” and “Phantom of The Opera” as well as a short silent film and duet between the organ and piano!Camden joined our staff at St. John’s on November 17th and we are so very excited to have him a part of our faith community and ministry team. Camden is an extremely gifted musician and we count oursleves blessed!!! Let’s show our support and join Camden on FEBRUARY 25th at 3:00pmRead More →

It was a pretty fascinating morning this morning. It remined me of the time a few years ago when Jenny and I got away to Alleghany (just the two of us) as a Pastor Appreciation gift. Well, the first thing that came to my mind as I took everything in was “this morning was an “in between the seasons” kind of morning. A quick reminder to me that Fall looks like it is nearing it’s end and the next season is upon us.   That got me thinking. Our lives can be a sort of “in between the seasons” at times. One season coming to anRead More →

Over the last few weeks, we have been praying for Gino, a young ten-year-old from our congregation who has been fighting a nasty infection. He has been at Children’s Hospital for the last week. Please continue to pray for Gino! As a hope to boost his spirits, Gino’s uncle TJ (also a member of St. John’s and a very gifted organist who has helped us out MANY TIMES) has asked for cards to be sent to Gino.  PLEASE CONSIDER SENDING HIM A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT!!! Gino is a remarkable young man! His smile is infectious and his warm and genuine personality is a true blessing!Read More →

On October 11th, myself, Rod Lorenz, and Laura Tirone met with Lois. As many of you are aware, Lois has been experiencing health issues that have made it near impossible to play the organ or piano. After prayer, conversations, and support; Lois announced her retirement- effective that day.  Over these last weeks as I have considered Lois and  the partnership I’ve shared with her, I keep coming back to the words of St. Paul: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from theRead More →

Food Panty The Food Pantry is open every Tuesday from 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM and serves people in the 14225 zip code ​ The Pantry graciously accepts donations from the public. Items in need include: Canned corn, canned creamed corn, canned fruit, cake mixes, canned pasta, pasta sauce, egg noodles, canned green beans, baked beans, peanut butter, canned peas, canned spinach, canned beets, diced tomatoes tomato soup, chicken soup, canned chicken, canned tuna, pancake mix, pancake syrup elbow noodles, spaghetti, breakfast cereal (no oatmeal) Juices (Sunny D, apple, tomato), Jelly in squeeze bottles, toilet tissue, body and/or dish soap, laundry detergent ​ If you wouldRead More →

FREE ORGAN CONCERT AT THE RIVIERA THEATER Join organist JOE MOMOT for an evening of classic Christmas tunes along with a Christmas sing-a-long! Admission is free, and donations will be accepted the evening of the show. November 30th, 2023 at 7:00pm FREERead More →