Epistle for October 25, 2012

[Jon Burnham]

Dear people who are the salt of the earth,

Our congregation is richly blessed and it shows in our abundant giving. What a blessing it is to see the recent update from our October 14 Sunday bulletin insert:

Pledges budgeted to date: $278,787
Pledges received to date: $264,503
Percentage: 95%
Peace Offering: $920
Hymnals: $360

As you can see, this is a generous congregation! Very few congregations achieve 95% of payment of pledges to date in October. Let's celebrate the fact that St. John's is composed of generous Christians. As we celebrate our 56th anniversary, we look forward to Stewardship Dedication Sunday on November 4. In the meantime, let's live out the theme of thanksgiving from that grand old hymn:

Count your blessings 

name them one by one 

Count your many blessings 

see what God has done

This Sunday from 6-8 pm in the church parking lot we will have the fun event called "Trunk or Treat." In the safety of St. John's church parking lot, children go to each car to Trunk-or-Treat instead of going house to house to Trick-or-Treat. Please join us and invite your neighbors. All children and youth and their parents are invited.

Keep Gloria and her family in prayer. She is in the hospital with lung cancer.

Last Sunday we celebrated the baptism of Mallory Sterner. It was a sacred experience. This Sunday the sermon title is "How to Improve Your Vision" and the sermon text is Mark 10:46-52. I hope to see you this Sunday as we celebrate Reformation Sunday.

Your pastor who prays for you,

JON BURNHAM