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St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Welcome, thank you so much for visiting St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Berrysburg, PA – the historic Hill Church. Founded in 1780, ours is a congregational family with a deep and rich heritage that informs out efforts to reach out to our present-day community – near and far – with the Gospel of Jesus. In my years of service here, I have come to see that we are a congregational family that defies easy description. We have the warmth and intimacy of a small congregation, while also being blessed with an extraordinary body of committed and gifted believers that allows us to do many of the ministries of a large congregation. We hope that you will visit often – here, from the comfort of your computer or smart phone or other electronic device, but also in person. Whether you are seeking a family of believers with which to join in serving God, or just stopping to take in the view, we would love to welcome you in person to “The Hill”! |
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Current Schedule
Come visit us every Sunday!
8:45am - Adult Bible Study (In Person)
9:30am - Worship (In-Person & On Zoom)
9:30am - SONDay Celebration with Miss Laurie (In-Person)
8:45am - Adult Bible Study (In Person)
9:30am - Worship (In-Person & On Zoom)
9:30am - SONDay Celebration with Miss Laurie (In-Person)
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St. John Zoom Information
Find out how to access our Sunday Zoom Services |
Pastor's Letter - May
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Dear Friends in Jesus,
I’m hoping you can recall my mentioning that Easter, for us as the Followers of Jesus, isn’t just a day; it is a season which lasts for “a week of weeks (49 days) plus one” for a total of 50 days, including no less than 7 Sundays of Easter. The ancient idea is that we need all that time to faithfully and boldly proclaim and live the reality that Jesus Lives – Alleluia!! With that in mind, I’m using the rest of this space this month to speak of some important and very visible ways in which we are all looking to go forward faithfully and boldly in that Easter news. First, going forward faithfully and boldly with this beautiful and historic facility we call our congregational family home… Immediately following worship on Sunday, May 1, we will gather for a special congregational meeting to take action on the St. John Restoration 250 project, recommended to us by Congregational Council. This bold plan received this name because it is truly a project for the ages – one which will equip us with a facility for worship and ministry befitting our upcoming 250th anniversary celebration in 2030 and one which will in some ways outlive all of us voting on it. As you can see in more detail on the summary page which follows this letter, the core of the $220,000 proposal is to contract with Bahret Church Interiors to repair the places in our upstairs worship space, down the stairs, and in the foyer where the surface of our 140+ year old horsehair plaster is powdering in such a way that paint can no longer bond to it properly. As part of this repair, all ceilings, walls and woodwork will be repainted, as has not been done since the early 1980’s. In addition to this core work, all red carpeted areas will receive new red carpeting, including down the main stairs. In the foyer and foyer restroom, the current flooring will be replaced with an attractive heavy-duty artificial wood flooring. We will also receive a comprehensive update of our lighting with energy efficient and more effective and attractive LED lighting (although not affecting our historic chandeliers upstairs); our current sound system will be replaced with an up-to-date “smart” system that can, among other things, actually detect and compensate for when a reader is speaking a bit too softly; we will install a new motorized screen and projector which will allow us finally to see things being projected even in the bright light of day; and our Zoom worship experience will finally be brought up to snuff with aspects of the new sound system (which will be capable of handling the sound needed for Zoom worship entirely separately from the sound needed for in-person worship) as well as new cameras. So, on May 1, everyone is welcome to attend the meeting, but especially needed are all voting members of the congregational family (confirmed, as well as communing and contributing in the past two years) for this yes/no vote by secret ballot. Please don’t hesitate to speak with Sandra Lamenza, who is chairing the St. John Restoration 250 working group, any member of Property Committee or Congregational Council, or with me with any questions! And then, going forward faithfully and boldly with a beloved and historic congregational family event… As you hopefully recall, this year’s Annual Strawberry Festival has long been scheduled for Wednesday, June 8, but with a big question mark as to what that Festival might look like this year. I’m really happy to report that, at the first planning meeting in March, the decision was made to bring the Festival back onsite as we all remember it, but even better, with tweaking of our serving and dining practices to allow more open space, as we found was very well-received in last year’s “to go” version of the Festival. So, this edition of the St. John’s Epistle once again contains the updated committee listing for all of the different tasks that need to be done in order for the day to be a success. Please be sure to remove the listing and keep it handy (maybe on the refrigerator?), and please be sure to check with your committee chairperson, the overall chairpersons, or with me if you have any questions or concerns about your scheduled work. And, as we speak of our Annual Strawberry Festival, please also make note of two other important Strawberry Festival-related dates coming up in the next few weeks: 1. The next planning meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, April 28, beginning at 7:00 P.M. and 2. The first pavilion cleaning and preparation night, which will also serve as our spring outside work night on the church property in general, has been set for Tuesday, May 24, beginning at 5:30 P.M. (You might remember that, for the past several years, we have had good results combining what had at one time been two work nights into one – instead of trying to schedule two separate days and times – but this again means that we will again need lots of “hands” to pull off this busy evening of projects.) Pastor Tom |
Strawberry Festival is coming back onsite as you remember it, but even better!
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News from Miss Laurie, Young Christians Minister
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Happy marvelous May, everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the Easter season!
In addition to the flowers brought to us by all those April showers, this month we’ll also be enjoying several holidays including Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. Grab a pencil and add these activities to your May “to do” list:
Miss Laurie |
SAVE THE DATE
Are you ready to cook up some fun? Join us July 11th through July 15th from 6:30 - 8:45 pm for "Food Truck Party" VBS and get on a roll with God!! 
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Our Mission
St. John congregation, responding to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, unites together to preach and teach the Word, administer the sacraments, and carry out God’s mission. With God’s guidance and grace, we strive to boldly proclaim by word and action the reconciling Gospel of Jesus: Working together for justice and peace, and caring for those in need in our community and world. We invite everyone to join us wherever you are on your faith journey. |
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