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Happy February everyone!

I hope that you all are continuing to tolerate this

cold season with a smile on your face. Sometimes

when we get to this point in the year we are ready

for something new. I am therefore pleased to inform

you that this month begins the season of Lent,

and with it, various opportunities for worship,

study, and fellowship.

We begin the Lenten season on February 14th with

Ash Wednesday. We will have services that day at

noon and 7:30. Then each week in Lent up to Holy

Week we will have Lenten midweek services and

study on Wednesdays. We will gather at 11:00 on

Wednesday mornings for worship and this will be

followed by lunch in Highland Hall. Then in the

evenings we will have supper in Highland Hall at

6:00 followed by a study on the Creed at 6:45

and concluding with worship at 7:30.

As always we welcome you to any and

all gatherings that you can attend!

What a blessing it is to be able to journey together as

a community of faith through this season of

repentance, knowing that as we turn towards God

once again, we are reminded of all that God has

done for us in Christ Jesus our Lord and we can

give thanks for this great gift together.

Soli Deo Gloria!

(To God Alone be the Glory!)

Pastor Kari Smail

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Table of Contents

Hula Hallelujah

Winter Gala

Page 2

Rev. Dr. Elwood Leister

Page 3

Ash Wednesday

Lent

Page 4

Financially Speaking

Page 5

God Squad

Page 6

Holy K.O.W.S.

Page 7 & 8

Worship Assistants

Page 9

Stewardship Stew

Bethlehem Meeting

Page 10

SJ Staff

Candle Flower Openings

Page 11

Stampers

Preschool Panorama

Page 12

Council Members

Christian Literacy

Page 13

NCHO

Page 14

Marriage Encounters

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Saturday, February 6:30—9:00 p.m. Highland Hall

Have some Tropical Treats while enjoying the sounds of the

Ambridge Steel Drum Band

Winter GalaWinter GalaWinter Gala Pot Luck StylePot Luck StylePot Luck Style

Saturday, February 24th

6:30—9:30 p.m. in Highland Hall

Entertainment provided by

SinG Boldly

Our newest musical quartet!

HEY!

Want to beat the

Winter-Blues?

Here’s some

suggestions

A former pastor of our congregation

has entered the Church Triumphant.

The Rev. Dr. Elwood Leister, pastor of St. John’s of Highland from 1970-1991,

passed away on January 15th.

Pastor Leister and his wife, Shirley,

have been living in Chambersburg for several years,

and two of their children, Cindy Kelly and Drew Leister,

are members of our congregation.

Expressions of sympathy for his wife, Shirley, can be sent

to: 380 S. Coldbrook Avenue; Chambersburg, PA 17201.

Memorial donations can be made to:

United Lutheran Seminary;

61 Seminary Ridge; Gettysburg, PA 17325

in thanksgiving for Pastor Leister’s education at

THE Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.

We give thanks for the good and faithful service

of Pastor Leister, and for the new life he has now

in our heavenly home. Please keep Shirley, Cindy, Drew,

Blaine, Myra, and their whole family in

your prayers in the days ahead as they

grieve his passing.

May they find comfort and hope

in the promise of the resurrection.

Page 1

Noon and 7:30 p.m.

Our 2018 Lenten Our 2018 Lenten Our 2018 Lenten

Coin Collection Coin Collection Coin Collection

Boxes will benefit Boxes will benefit Boxes will benefit

our St. John’s our St. John’s our St. John’s

Family Family Family

Emergency FundEmergency FundEmergency Fund

They will be available in the Narthex throughout the Season of Lent.

Every penny, nickel, dime, and quarters add up quickly!

The Family Emergency Fund is a Pastors discretionary fund used

to offer aide to families and individuals who encounter

sudden and unexpected financial burdens.

STEWARDSHIP STEW

We have whipped through January at breakneck speed.

It seems we spent most of it shoveling snow. Hence, we

may not have taken the time to sit down and list those

pesky resolutions for the coming year…those resolutions that

probably would have gone by the wayside by now anyway.

So, in the interest of good stewardship of your good intentions here is

a list of comfortable, meaningful resolutions that could make this

your best year ever!

√ Don’t wait for people to be friendly, show them how.

√ Never look down on anyone, unless you are helping them up.

√ Carry a heart that never hates, a smile that never fades and a

touch that never hurts.

√ Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.

√ Love thy neighbor and if it requires that you bend the truth,

the truth will understand.

√ Never miss an opportunity to make others happy,

even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it.

√ Love your enemies, it will confuse them greatly.

* Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.

It might be the only sunshine he or she will see all day *

Now that Christmas 2017 is over,

it's time to think about Bethlehem 2018!

(Yes, really!)

On Sunday February 4th after the 10:30 service, all are welcome at the

Bethlehem Kick Off Meeting. We will discuss dates, leadership needs, and opportunities, etc.

If you have ideas, we want to hear them! If you are interested but can't

attend the meeting, we still need you and will happily keep you updated

and involved in planning along the way.

Please contact Nancy Sheleheda at 724-506-2089 or via email at

[email protected] for more information.

mailto:[email protected]

ST. JOHN’S STAFF MEMBERS William B. Diehm, Senior Pastor Kari B. Smail, Associate Pastor Ron Baling, Dir. of Contemporary Music Joseph Tuttle Organist & Director of Choirs Mary Lynne Martin, Office Administrator Barb Eback, Office Assistant & Accounts P/R Clerk Laura Coombs, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Bolinda, Director of St. John’s Preschool Dawn Andersson, Director of Volunteer Ministry Linda Meyerdierks, Youth Ministry Coordinator Gene Kesner, Sexton Clyde Wolfe, Assistant Sexton STAFF COVENANT: We will partner to enhance each other’s ministries, honor each person’s gifts, care for one another and communicate God’s word and love.

Candle & Flower Openings for February Call the office if you want to reserve a candle/flower at 412-364-1606.

Remember:

2 openings for flowers weekly @ $15 each

3 openings for candles weekly @ $3 each

Candle Flower

February 4 3 openings February 4 0 openings


February 18 3 openings February 18 1 opening


Page 5 Page 6

Financially Speaking as of November 2017

General Fund Income

November Actual $ 108,100.98 November Budget $ 59,935.08

Gain (Short Fall) $ 48,165.90

YTD Actual $ 740,004.13 YTD Budget $ 719,221.00

Gain (Short Fall) $ 20,783.13

YTD Income $ 740,004.13 YTD Expenses $ 738,463.05 Income (Loss) $ 1,541.08

BUILDING FUND:

YTD Actual $ 97,020.04 YTD Budget $ 101,400.00

Gain (Short Fall) ($ 4,379.96 )

We would like to thank the congregation for their support, in

helping to end the year on a positive note.

SAY YES!

Currently our mortgage has a balance of $961,705.13 with a

monthly payment of $8,200.00.

There are three ways to contribute to the building fund:

Use a Building Fund envelope from your monthly envelope packet

Use the Opening New Doors envelope found in the pews.

Use the “Say Yes!” pledge card for 2018

EVERY GIFT MATTERS! Thank you for your ongoing stewardship and generosity!

Page 8

Teen Board Game NightTeen Board Game NightTeen Board Game Night

at St John's Lutheran Church of Highland

Saturday February 10, 2018

6:30 pm to 10 pm

Join us for a fun evening of board games and Pizza

in Highland Hall and bring your friends.

Open to teens from 6th grade to 12th grade.

Different board games will be set up and

there will also be organized group games.

Please RSVP to [email protected] or

[email protected]

with your name and age.

Please bring $4 to help cover

the cost of pizza and snacks.

Holy K.O.W.S. (6th– 8th grades)

& Senior Youth (9th—12th grades)

God Squad EventGod Squad EventGod Squad Event

(6th graders are welcome too!)

BOARD GAMES & ICE CREAM!BOARD GAMES & ICE CREAM!BOARD GAMES & ICE CREAM!

February 18th – 11:45a.m. – 1:45p.m.

We will play all sorts of games

while eating Ice Cream Sundaes!

We will meet in Highland Hall following

the 10:30 a.m. service. Please bring a bag lunch

& join us for some of your favorite Board Games

and come other games too!

Hope to see you there!

Please RSVP to Linda Meyerdierks by Feb. 16th.

Any questions or concerns please email

Linda Meyerdierks

@ [email protected]

CHRISTIAN LITERACY JANUARY 2018

Individually scheduled training workshops held at St. John’s of Highland

in Pittsburgh are available for the remainder of the year to

accommodate Christian Literacy’s seasonal commitments.

“All the world lives in two tents- content and discontent.”

What if you learned that one in four people, around the globe,

15 years of age or older cannot read at all? What if you read that if a

child does not experience some success in early basic reading skills then

by the middle of first grade negative attitudes toward reading will create

a mental wall setting them on the path of failure? What if you

discovered that YOU could make a life-changing difference for an adult

or child by becoming a Christian Literacy volunteer tutor this year?

Christian Literacy Community Literacy Training Workshops

will be held at St. John’s of Highland on Cumberland Road from

9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The workshops are free and basic literacy materials,

The Christian Literacy Series, will be available for a donation

upon completion of the training session. If you are discontented with

having a family member or community member unable to read and want

to do something about it, call Christopher Ebner to reserve your place

at a Christian Literacy workshop this year: 412-364-3777 or email

[email protected].

Saturday, March 17th from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 7th from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Be content to show love to others by determining to be

a light in the darkness of illiteracy today!

Page 9 Page 10

St. John's Stampers

The St. John’s Stampers will meet on

Saturday, February 17 from 9am until noon.

We will be “thinking Spring” and Easter.

All are welcome. There is a cost of $5/person to help cover the cost of materials.

Hope you will join us!

Preschool Panorama

Our preschoolers are getting ready for Valentine’s Day.

They enjoy giving special valentines to all their friends

to show them how much they are loved!

The 2’s are doing a very good job separating from a parent/caregiver.

They will be learning how to share and be kind to their friends.

The 3’s are learning about the weather, numbers, and letters of the

alphabet. They will have great practice writing their name on the

valentine’s cards!

The 4’s will learn about penguins, have a pajama party, and make a pizza

snack. They will be hanging lots of hearts around the classrooms.

The pre-k children are continuing to develop their phonics skills,

learn about transportation, and famous artists. They will be crafting

away using lots of reds, pinks, and purples for valentine’s day.

We are taking registrations for

the 2018/2019 school year.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

GREETING CARDS

Need a special card for a special person? (There is a special holiday this month!)

Handmade cards are available in Highland Hall on Sunday mornings during Fellowship time.

Choose the cards you would like and make a donation to the St. John’s Family Emergency Fund.

New cards are added each week.

Our Current St. John’s

Council Members

Pastor William Diehm Pastor Kari Smail

Michael Bergen (President) Rich Volpe (Vice President)

John Birmingham (Secretary) Eric Kofmehl (Treasurer)

John Kane Heath Gamaché

Debbie Brown Laura Lankes

Winter Mariotti Janice Bukambu

Sam Baling Gail Bankowski

North Hills Community Outreach—FEBRUARY 2018 N.H.C.O. is now on Facebook. Become a fan today!

Page 11 Page 12

Annual Citrus Sale is underway

North Hills Community Outreach is taking orders through February 5 for

its annual Citrus Sale. Boxes of grapefruit, oranges, and pears are

hand-checked by volunteers and are available for pickup March 3 and 4 in

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1965 Ferguson Road, Hampton.

Purchases benefit NHCO, which served 3,692 local families in need last year.

Boxes of fruit can also be donated to NHCO’s food pantries. To order online,

please visit nhco.org/fruit.cfm or call 412-307-0069 x 3311 for an order form.

FREE Tax Preparation North Hills Community Outreach is once again offering FREE tax prepara-

tion for low-income individuals through the United Way Free Tax Prep

program. Appointments are required and must be made by calling

United Way’s helpline, 2-1-1, starting January 10, 2018.

Income eligibility requirements:

For households with ONE PERSON, annual income must be $25,000 or less.

For households with MORE THAN ONE PERSON, annual income must be

$45,000 or less. NHCO’s Bellevue/North Boroughs site will be open for tax

prep appointments Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:30 to 7:30pm, beginning

January 22. NHCO’s Millvale site will be open for tax prep appointments

Saturdays, 9:00am to noon, beginning January 20.

Seniors need volunteer snow shovelers

Seniors in all neighborhoods in northern Allegheny County need volunteers

to keep their yards and sidewalks safe by shoveling snow. This is a great

project for teens, youth groups and families. Please contact Cathy at North

Hills Community Outreach at 412-307-0069 x 3313 or [email protected]

to register to volunteer.

Ask the Attorney sessions for low-income families

Free legal consultation for issues such as divorce, bankruptcy, credit

issues, family matters, rent disputes and more is available for families in

need at North Hills Community Outreach locations the third Wednesday

of each month at 7:00pm except December. The next ATA sessions are:

February 21 in NHCO North Boroughs and March 21 in NHCO

Millvale. Attendees MUST preregister for these sessions by contacting

Jackie at [email protected] or 412-408-3830 x 3217.

2018 Lutheran Marriage Encounter

Weekends Announced Your marriage relationship is one of the things in life that provides the greatest potential for happiness. Is yours living up to this potential? Please make 2018 the year you

resolve to attend a Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekend to learn how to maximize the joy and intimacy that God intends for your marriage.

The following Weekends have been scheduled with one more to be added in Massachusetts in the fall.

March 16-18, 2018 at Heritage Hotel Lancaster in Lancaster, PA. A newly-renovated hotel, home of the unique treehouse-

Inspired restaurant, "Loxley's." April 6-8, 2018 at Toftrees Golf Resort in State College PA. A peaceful resort surrounded by a golf course and nestled in the woods in the center of PA. September 14-16, 2018 at Spruce Lake Retreat in Canadensis,

PA. A lovely hotel-style facility In a wooded area of the Poconos, an hour north of Allentown. October 19-21, 2018 at Olmsted Retreat Center. A stunning, hotel-style retreat next to Olmsted Mansion in Allegheny National Forest, 2 hours north of Pittsburgh.

Two nights lodging, 5 meals for each of you, and all supplies are included with your $100 per couple registration fee, plus toward the end of the weekend you will be given an opportunity to make a confidential contribution of whatever amount you wish toward the continuation of the program.

To be sure to get the Weekend of your choice, sign up at your earliest convenience by going to the website: www.GodLovesMarriage.org and paying the registration fee with your credit card, or marking the option to mail a check.

For questions, or if you would like a brochure with registration form mailed to you, contact Northeast US Directors of Lutheran Marriage Encounter, Fred & Julie Schamber, at 724-325-3166 or [email protected].

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Park-PA/North-Hills-Community-Outreach/147499803724



http://www.GodLovesMarriage.org


DEACONS 8:00 AM 10:30 AM 5:30 p.m.

February 4 Eric Kofmehl,

Tom Beilstein

Cathy Coudriet,

Mary Pat Jackson February 3

Janice Bukambu

February 11 Linda Falck,

Kim Jusino

Nancy Sheleheda,

Chris Lindberg February 10

Chris Lindberg

ASH WED. NOON 7:30 PM

February 14 Linda Falck,

Margie Miller

Sam Baling,

John Miller

February 18 Bob & Margie

Miller

John Miller,

John Kane February 17

Doris Hodgkiss

February 25 Scott & Lee

Fischer

Chris Lindberg,

Heath Gamaché February 24

John Angel

ASSISTANT

MINISTER 8:00 AM

February 4 Drew Leister

February 11 Paul Krepps

February 18 Barb Eback

February 25 Sam Baling

ACOLYTES 8:00 AM 10:30 AM 5:30 p.m.

February 4 Aidan Ward Riley Roehlich February 3

Dane McDermot

February 11 Jacob Kennedy Hannah Smail February 10

Rylan Murphy

February 18 Dylan Ward Scouts & Leaders February 17

Bridgit Murphy

February 25 Landon Ward Julia Jusino February 24

Maria Mance

LECTORS 8:00 AM 10:30 AM

February 4 Drew Leister

Steve Hrvoich

February 11 Cindy Kelly

Carol Sperandeo

ASH WEDNESDAY NOON 7:30 PM

February 14 Bob Miller Sam Baling

February 18 Pat Green

Scouts & Leaders

February 25 Heidi Miller

Jon Caulkins

KIDS CORNER 10:30 AM

February 4 Beth Dailey, Youth

February 11 Dawn Andersson, Youth

February 18 Laura and Nick Lankes

February 25 Joumana & Thalia Driscoll

USHERS 8:00 AM 10:30 AM 5:30 p.m.

February 4 Bob & Brian Miller,

Jerry Cronenweth, Gene Modic

Andrea & John

Miller February 3

Jody Removchik

February 11 Tom Beilstein, Harold Brandt,

Heather McElroy

John Miller,

Abigail Schappert February 10

Mary Jean Voigt

ASH WED.. NOON 7:30 PM

February 14 Bob Miller Eric Kofmehl

February 18 Gail Polosky, Eric Kofmehl,

Harold Brandt, Sam Falck Scouts & Leaders February 17

Ted Oczypok

February 25 Kent & Jim Bruggeman,

Harold Brandt, Sam Falck

Roger McQuaid,

Bill Tjader February 24

Jennifer Singleton

Kids Corner is offered

at the second service

on Sunday mornings

for children up to

First Grade

In the daycare room.

GREETERS 8:00 AM 10:30 AM

February 4 Bill & Betty Jones

Nancy Swanhart,

Mille Haas

February 11 Lee & Beth Fischer Susanne Carr,

Bill Medovitch

February 18 Brian & Heidi Miller Scouts & Leaders

February 25 Linda & Sam Falck

Abigail Schappert,

Mary Ann Eppinger

February 2018 Assisting Schedule February 2018 Assisting Schedule

For More St. John’s & Community Events go to www.stjohnslutheranchurch.com/weeklyinfo

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