Important Information

Join Us for Church Services
We welcome you to Join Us for
Weekly Worship or Bible Study via Zoom!
To do so, please contact Pastor Tom by email at stjohnhillchurch@frontier.com or by phone at 717.362.9519 for information about how to join us with an internet-connected device or by calling in with a telephone.

Also, you are welcome to tune in any time at all to our YouTube Channel to view previous Zoom worship or other worship resources we have posted there!

We also welcome you to Join Us for In-Person Outdoor Weekly Worship!
Prayer for a Pandemic: by Cameron Bellm
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving
their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our
children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money
in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot
physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving
embrace of God to our neighbors. Amen.

Opportunities for Fellowship

Blessing of Devices
During both 9:30 (on Zoom) and 11:00 (in person in the pavilion) worship on Sunday, September 13, Pastor Tom will again be leading what has come to be our annual “Blessing of the Backpacks”, but repurposed a bit this year as a Blessing of the Devices.

Since at least some of our Pre-School through Grade 12 students (members of the congregational family as well as friends they might invite, virtually or in-person!) will be educating from home on a laptop or other device and not carrying a backpack to school and since many folks of all ages will be conducting their post-high school studies and their daily work from home and/or with a greater reliance than ever before on electronic devices, persons of all ages are asked to present on screen (during 9:30 worship via Zoom) or to bring along with them (during 11:00 worship in-person in the pavilion) their school backpacks, phones, laptops, tablets, or any other electronic device that assists that they rely on for their your daily routine as we Pastor Tom leads us in a time of recognition, prayer, and blessing.  There will once again be the opportunity for each participant to receive a small “keepsake” to put in their backpacks or keep with their devices as a reminder of the fact that God goes with each of them through the joys and challenges of the months to come!
Amazon Smiles
If you are an Amazon.com shopper, perhaps especially in this time of pandemic, our congregation is registered with the “Amazon Smiles” program, whereby Amazon donates one half of one percent of your purchase amount to a charitable organization that you select.  Please note that, to qualify, your purchase has to be made through the “smile” side of things, to which you will find a very easily identifiable link from the main part of the Amazon.com website.  (Once there, it can be a bit tricky to pick out our congregational name from all of the “St. John’s”, but once you have selected us the first time, we will automatically be designated each time you shop and you won’t need to re-do the search.)  All monies received in this way will be automatically deposited for use in the Current Fund.
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.

Connecting with us!

Current Schedule
Come visit us every Sunday!
8:30am - Worship via the Zoom Platforms
9:30am - Faith Formation Activities for All Ages
11:00am - Worship In Person
Congregation YouTube Page
Listen to our Sunday Services!
St. John's YouTube Channel
Social Media
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/stjohnhillchurch

Pastor's Letter - September

Dear Friends in Jesus,

A couple of folks asked me about further/again sharing the following historical reflection which I wrote for one of my recent congregational family emails.  Here it is:
 
As I’ve mentioned to many of you along the way, as an avid history buff, I have become a great admirer over the years of both President Abraham Lincoln and President Franklin Roosevelt, both of whom had their own obvious imperfections and contradictions, while at the same time setting the gold standard for what it means to be a leader.  I’ve come to find that anyone who spends any time at all reading about President Roosevelt also inevitably ends up spending quite a bit of time with Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister with whom President Roosevelt shared an extremely productive and personally warm relationship as world leaders during the global crisis that was World War II.

And so it was that, just this week, I was reading about a speech that Churchill delivered to the House of Commons on June 18, 1940.  As he spoke, France was just days away from officially surrendering to Adolf Hitler and his Nazi forces, which meant that Great Britain now stood alone before the German onslaught, with only the all-too-narrow waters of the English Channel separating England from the German war machine.  (At this point, there was little that President Roosevelt could do to help, as the United States was still firmly on the sidelines, with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor still almost 18 months in the future and many powerful and well-funded voices in the US saying that it was time to “put America first” and that this wasn’t our problem – and furthermore that maybe Hitler and the Nazis weren’t such bad guys after all, as German diplomatic personnel within our country were working hard behind the scenes to convince Americans that all of the negativity about Hitler was actually just so much “fake news”.)

To prepare the people of Great Britain for the German invasion that now seemed almost certain to come, and with many people around him suggesting that maybe now was the time to make peace with Hitler and the Nazis, Churchill spoke of what was at stake, warning that, if Great Britain fell, the world – including eventually the United States – would descend into a new and sinister “Dark Age”.  He then ended with words still quoted – albeit sometimes incorrectly – Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will say, ‘This was their finest hour.’

That got me thinking – what will generations yet to come see and say about us when they one day look back upon this time of COVID-19 pandemic?  It seems certain that this will indeed be “one for the books” – including a new St. John congregational history ten years or so down the road, when our 250th Anniversary will be celebrated.  What will they see looking back?  What will they say about us?  As Prime Minister Churchill spoke there on the floor of the House, the people of Great Britain were already tired of living with wars and rumors of wars, with no end in sight.  So much was unknown – almost nothing was certain.  It would have been so easy to give up, to give in to their worst instincts of fear and selfishness, to take the low and seemingly easier road, to turn against each other, but the Prime Minister reminded them that the one thing they could control in the midst of so much uncontrollable uncertainty – maybe the only thing – was their own attitude and conduct.  They could “brace themselves to their duties”, come what may – or not.

I firmly believe that Jesus is calling you and me to “brace ourselves to our duties” of being Gospel people and so conduct ourselves that, whatever may be yet to come in this time of COVID-19, ten (if not a thousand) years from now, in a congregational history yet to be written, people will look back and be able to say that this was (if not our finest) a very good and faithful hour for the St. John Congregational Family, and that we acquitted ourselves as good and faithful servants of Jesus, instead of going with our worst instincts of fear and selfishness, taking the low and seemingly easier road, turning against each other as is too often happening in our larger society.  It is as true right here today as it was on June 18, 1940 – the one thing we can control in the midst of so much uncontrollable uncertainty – maybe the only thing – is our own attitude and conduct.  We can choose to “brace ourselves to our duties” of doing all that we can to show Jesus’ love for our neighbors near and far, come what may – or not…
 
As I also said in that email, perhaps the most critical way we can go about “bracing ourselves” is by making it a top priority to continue to come together as a congregational family on Sunday mornings.  You will note in our September calendar that, as I write these lines in mid-August, our Sunday morning schedule for September 20 and following Sundays is still being prayerfully sorted out by our Congregational Council.  Please stay tuned for those details, which will of course be widely and frequently shared in the weeks to come!
    
Pastor Tom

News from Miss Laurie, Young Christians Minister

Happy “back to school” time, everyone!  Whether you’re back in the classroom or doing things online (or maybe a combination of the two like Little Hands), I hope you’re off to a good start! 

Now that September is here, we’ve got a few upcoming activities that you will want to check out, so grab your calendars and pencil in these dates:
  • Wednesday, September 2nd – Celebration Club “Kick-off” on Zoom! We’re going to meet at 7:00 pm for an hour of fun, faith-forming activities online!  I’ll send out the Zoom link earlier in the day.  Grab your computer and join us for the fun!
  • Sunday, September 13th – St. John’s “Drive-thru Safari” Caravan!  To mark the end of our Summer Schedule, we’re going to treat our Young Christians to the “Drive-thru Safari” at Lake Tobias!  We’ll meet at the church at 12:00 and “caravan” over to Lake Tobias.  All Young Christians will receive a free pass for the Safari!  But you don’t have to be a youngster to be part of the fun!  Meet us at the church and join the caravan!! (We’re doing this in place of the “Knoebel’s Grove Outing and Congregational Picnic” which, sadly, had to be cancelled this year.Not to worry, our spot is already reserved for NEXT year!)
  • Sunday, September 20th – we’re back to the regular schedule for SONday Celebration, and hopefully we’ll be LIVE and IN PERSON!  Everything is tentative, of course, and we’ll follow the recommended safety procedures of social distancing and wearing masks, but we should be back in our space!  Stay tuned to “A Word from Miss Laurie” and Pastor Tom’s emails for updates!

I hope you’ll plan to join us for ALL of the above activities!  Have a GREAT September, and stay safe!  Can’t wait to see you all at the Celebration!!
 
Miss Laurie
Photo used under Creative Commons from Salm3n