Covid Restrictions Easements
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NO Sign-Up needed.
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NO Social Distancing required (We will go back to using every pew, sitting next to people of other households again.)
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Hymnals and Bibles will be back in the pews starting May 29th. Bulletins will still be printed out in their entirety and left on the table in the narthex (not in church mailboxes) for those who may not be comfortable picking up hymnals at this time.
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Common Cup will not yet be offered at the Lord's Supper at this time.
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Kneelers will not be used at the Lord's Supper anymore.
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Commune Shoulder to Shoulder with members of other households (as social distancing requirements will be lifted). Commune Both Sides alternating pulpit side and lectern side as we used to do.
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Offering Plates will not be passed yet. We will continue to use the drop box at this time.
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Choirs may resume again.
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Summer Bible Class will be held at 10:45 am starting June 6th and continuing through August 15th (except Sunday July 4th). (11am worship service will be suspended until Fall.) The topic will be Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
St. John’s Church Campout ~ We are so excited to announce the first ever St. John's Church Campout at the Sleepy Eye Sportsmen's Park the nights of June 25-26. Both one or two night reservations are possible. The link to reserve your campsite is HERE Once a reservation has been made, please make your payment within a week to hold your spot. There will be a church service at the campsite at some point during the weekend, and other fellowship activities will be included as well. We can't wait to see you there!
Art Camp / Vacation Bible School ~ will be held Tuesday, August 3 thru Thursday, August 5, from 9 - 11 am at St. John’s Lutheran Church. The event is open to students from Kindergarten - 6th grade. Students in 7th grade and older are invited to be helpers and also do art projects. The cost is $20 for grades 2-6; $5 for PreK-1st grade. There will be lessons on acrylic and watercolor painting, pastels, pencil drawing, cartooning and caricaturing, and also age appropriate crafts for younger artists. Each student will receive a watercolor set and a t-shirt to take home following the camp. For parents with little ones: we are providing snacks and some amenities at Lincoln Park. The frog pool will be rented for one of the days for children 8 and younger. Sign-up will be available soon.
Sending Offerings through Bill Pay ~ Several members of St. John’s have asked if there is a way for them to make their weekly offerings automatically either online or by an automatic bank transaction. St. John’s is investigating our online giving options, but are not yet ready to receive online gifts. For the time being, we suggest that our members consider using your bank’s online Bill Pay service to make weekly or monthly gifts to St. John’s. If you have questions about using Bill Pay to make donations, please contact Financial Secretary Mike Thom at 507-217-7671.
You may also send your offerings by mail to: St. John's Church
627 South Washington St.
New Ulm, MN 56073
In-Person Bible Classes ~ Sunday morning Bible class starts at 10:45 am, beginning June 6th. Pastor Bovee will lead a class on The Sermon on the Mount. The class will be held in the church basement or join online by clicking HERE
St. John's Fortress Newsletter
Can we return to the way things were?
It has been over a year. Wearing masks, socially distancing, following (or at least attempting to
follow) the directions in businesses and grocery stores with arrows on the floor to direct traffic flow,
not being able to eat in restaurants, having travel restrictions, being warned not to touch anything
someone else might have touched… The list goes on. ..
Here I Stand
A few years ago my parents asked me for some suggestions for a Christmas gift they could buy
for me. I suggested a wall calendar that was made for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran
Reformation. Each month, as I turned the page, I entered the historic events into my personal
calendar online and made them repeat annually. So now I pause regularly to reflect on our Lutheran heritage on these new “holidays” marked on my calendar...
Beyond the Cross
During this Lenten season we walked the pathway which led to the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The road to the cross took us past scenes which reminded us that we are living in a sinful
world. There is deceit, betrayal, anxiety, suffering, bloodshed and death. With each episode along the
way – Judas’ kiss of betrayal, Peter’s denial of the Savior, the unjust trial of the chief priests, the
venomous accusation of the Jews, the cruel abuse of the Roman soldiers, the scourging with the catof-nine-tails, the morbid death of the innocent Christ – we are reminded of our own abominable
sins. We are convicted by our own unfaithfulness to God. We are condemned by the failings of our
own human frailty...