• TUES 4/2- 6:30AM Men's Bible Study
• 4:00PM LWML Meeting
• WED 4/3- 3:30PM Confirmation
• 7:00PM Midweek Lenten Worship
• THR 4/4- 9:30AM Ricketts Community Bible Study
• SAT 4/9- 6:00PM Worship at Immanuel, Soldier TWP
• SUN 4/10- 8:45AM Sunday School & Boble Class
• 10:00AM Worship with Communion (LWML Mite Box 1st Sunday)
• 7:00PM Lenten Bible Class
• Thrivent Collecting Gift Cards for Relief; Denison Area Thrivent Representative Niel Meseck is collecting gift cards for flooding victims in Western and Southern Iowa. Bring Casey's, WalMart and Bombgaars gift cards in any denomination to the church office and he will collect them for distribution to those in need April 15.
  You may also donate directly to Iowa District West for flood relief. Donations can be directed to Iowa District West-Flooding and sent to Iowa District West, 409 Kenyon Road- Suite B, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. Please contact Ellie Menz, IDW Disaster Response Coordinator, with questions, concerns, or if you hear of individuals and/or communities who need help with flood relief. Contact Ellie at 515-370-1159 or ellie@iowadistrictwest.org.
• Lenten Bible Study held every Sunday evening in Lent at 7:00PM. 'Foundations: Why Truth Matters' featuring Ken Ham from 'Answers in Genesis.'

MIDWEEK LENTEN WORSHIP & HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:

Wednesdays at 7:00PM 'Let My People Go' based on the book of Exodus

• WED APRIL 3; "Mine!" Ex. 20:1-17
• WED APR 10; "Digging ourselves into a hole" Ex. 32:1-14
• PSALM SUN APR 14; 8:15AM at St. Paul, Hanover TWP, 10:00AM at St.John
  "A New Beginning" Ex.34:1-8
• MAUNDY THR APR 18; 5:30PM at St. Paul, 7:00PM at St.John
• GOOD FRI APR 19; Tenebrea 7:00PM at St. John, "Agnus Dei" Ex. 12:1-13
• EASTER SUN APR 21; "Against All Odds" Ex.15:1-8
• Son-Rise 6:30AM at St.John, Annual LYF Breakfast Following
• Easter Festival 8:15AM at Immanuel, Soldier TWP, 10:00AM ar St. John

March 27 Midweek Lenten Sermon

This Week @ St.John

• WED 3/27- 3:30PM Confirmation
• 7:00PM Midweek Lenten Worship
• THR 3/28- 9:30AM Ricketts Community Bible Study
• 1:00PM Quilting
• SAT 3/30- 6:00PM Worship at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
• SUN 3/31- 8:45AM Sunday School & Boble Class
• 9:30AM Coffee/Donuts
• 10:00AM 5th Sunday Contemporary Worship (Fellowship Hall)
• Brief Informational Meeting/Update RE: Shared Ministry with St. Paul & Immanuel
• 7:00PM Lenten Bible Class
• Thrivent Choice Dollars. Eligible members can recommend where Thrivent distributes a portion of its charitable funding by directing Choice Dollars®. The deadline is March 29 by phone  800-847-4836,  or March 30 online. https://www.thrivent.com/making-a-difference/living-generously/thrivent-choice
• Lenten Bible Study held every Sunday evening in Lent at 7:00PM. 'Foundations: Why Truth Matters' featuring Ken Ham from 'Answers in Genesis.'

MIDWEEK LENTEN WORSHIP & HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:

Wednesdays at 7:00PM 'Let My People Go' based on the book of Exodus

• WED MARCH 27; "Strike the Rock" Exodus 17:1-7
• WED APRIL 3; "Mine!" Ex. 20:1-17
• WED APR 10; "Digging ourselves into a hole" Ex. 32:1-14
• PSALM SUN APR 14; 8:15AM at St. Paul, Hanover TWP, 10:00AM at St.John
  "A New Beginning" Ex.34:1-8
• MAUNDY THR APR 18; 5:30PM at St. Paul, 7:00PM at St.John
• GOOD FRI APR 19; Tenebrea 7:00PM at St. John, "Agnus Dei" Ex. 12:1-13
• EASTER SUN APR 21; "Against All Odds" Ex.15:1-8
• Son-Rise 6:30AM at St.John, Annual LYF Breakfast Following
• Easter Festival 8:15AM at Immanuel, Soldier TWP, 10:00AM ar St. John

Midweek Lenten Sermon

This Week @ St.John

YouTube Sermon; 2019 MARCH 17 | Confessing Jesus as Savior

• WED 3/20- 3:30PM Confirmation
• 7:00PM Midweek Lenten Worship
• 8:00PM Elder's Meeting
• THR 3/21- 9:00AM LWML Prayer Service at Midway
• 1:00PM Quiltingn
• SAT 3/23- 6:00PM Worship with Communion at St. Paul, Hanover
• SUN 3/24- 8:45AM Sunday School & Bible Class
• 10:00AM Worship
• 7:00PM Lentrn Bible Study

Midweek Lenten Sermon

This Week @ St. John

• TUES 3/12- Pastor at CIrcuit Conference at St. John, Battle Creek
• WED 3/13-  3:30pm Confirmation
• 7:00pm Midweek Lenten Worship
• THRS 3/14- 9:30am Ricketts Community Bible Study
• SAT 3/16- 6:00pm Worship at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
• SUN 3/17- 8:45am Sunday School & Bible Class
• 10:00am Worship with Commmunion , free wil loffering for Denison Hispanic Mission
• 11:00am LWML Soup & Sandwitch Luncheon
• 1:00pm Sunday School Family Fun Day at Petersen Rec Center in Harlan
• 7:00pm Lenten Bible Study

Lenten Midweek Sermon

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKnSxRLA32sh44z5nrLgiIA

Making it Easier to Find

• Sorry, there's no real way to rename our YouTube channel to something easier to remember, we're stuck with "UCKnSxRLA32sh44z5nrLgilA," but- the good news is that the more often you visit, like, subscribe, or share, the easier it will get to find in google or other search engines.
• AND, don't forget, there's a link on our facebook page
• and one on the right-hand menu of THIS website too.
• Once you "favorite" or "bookmark" it in your browser or on your phone, that will make it easier to find too.
• If you subscribe to our youtube channel, it will become easier to find in the YouTube app too
• I've added "tags" to every video which should also improve our search engine optimization (SEO), in other words, make them easier to seach for.

Making videos Easier to View (& Hear)

• I've begun trimming videos from the full hour worship service to approx 30min of children's sermon & sermon. Eventually, I'll try to edit them and split them into short children's message videos and sermon videos.
• we know there's been a lot of trouble with poor audio- you may need to turn your computer or phone's volume way up. Well, Brad Bramley believes that he may have adjusted something in our master sound board in the balcony which will boost the sound quality both on our DVDs and YouTube videos.

Remeber- The more you visit, watch, comment, link, share, like and subscribe, the easier our videos will be to find for others. So PLEASE, spread the gospel by sharing sermons.

Thank you!

So faith comes from hearing (and watching videos), that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17

This Week @ St. John

• TUES 3/5- 6:30AM Men's BiblelStudy
• 9:00AM Quilting at Immanuel, Soldier TWP
• 4:00PM LWML Meeting
• WED 3/6- 3:30PM Confirmation
• 5:30PM Soup Supper seved by Sunday School
• 7:00PM ASH WEDNSEDAY Lenten Midweek Worship
• THRS 3/7- 9:30AM Ricketts Community Bible Study
• SAT 3/9- 6:00PM Worship with Communion at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
• SUN 3/10- 8:45AM Sunday School & Bible Study
• 10:00AM Worship
• 11:00AM Congregaational Meeting- The Multi-Parish Exploraatory Commmittee (for developing a ministry partnership with the former Triple-Parish congregaations, Immanuel, Soldier TWP & St. Paul, Hanover TWP) will be presenting a proposal that will be voted on at the April Voter's meeting. Everyone will have the opportunity to ask questions and express concerns. We want everyone to be informed about the committee's work.
• 1:00PM Pastor Merril preaches at Denison Care Center
• 2:00PM Pastor at Eventide
• 2:45PM at Silveridge
• 7:00PM Lenten Bible Study- Youth & adults are encouraged to come study this series entitled 'Foundations: Why Truth Matters' featuring Ken Ham from Answers in Genesis, the organization that operates the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter. Please sign up on the counter in the walkway.
• SUN 3/17- SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILY DAY- at Petersen's Rec Center in Harlan. We will leave church at 1:00PM and get supper at Pizza Ranch in Denison on the way home. $8 Admission for adults, $5 for children. Please sign up on the counter in the walkay, because if we have more than 30 attending, there is a $2/person discount.

Lenten Exodus

Dear Friends in Christ,

After a longer than usual Epiphany season, Lent is almost upon us. Once again we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem and to His suffering and death on the cross. It is a sad journey because we feel the weight of our sins which caused Jesus to be crucified. Yet the ending is a happy one as Jesus finishes His work for our redemption on Good Friday and rises victorious from the grave on Easter.

The book of Exodus chronicles the journey of God's Old Testament people out of slavery in Egypt as they start on their way to the land God has promised them. This year's Lenten series of sermons explores some of the traditional themes of Lent through the journey of the children of Israel. We will see sin revealed in the lives of God's people, from lack of trust in God (the water at the rock,) to brazen idolatry (the golden calf). We will see God choosing for them a savior (small "s") in Moses, who will lead His people out of their slavery in Egypt. We will see God at work bringing His people to repentance and showing them mercy and forgiveness. We will see His glorious salvation as He brings His people through the Red Sea on dry land. We will experience the joyful "resurrection" of God's people as they stand on the other side of the Red Sea, with their enemies drowned in the water, never to oppress them again.

In all of these events, the picture of Jesus as our Savior from sin comes clearly into focus. Moses, the deliverer, is a picture of Jesus who rescues us from slavery to sin and death. The rock which is struck to provide water for the children of Israel in the desert is a picture of Jesus, who was "stricken, smitten, and afflicted" for us to provide us with eternal life which now is given to us through the waters of Baptism. The crossing of the Red Sea also recalls our Baptism, as our Old Adam is drowned and we emerge from the water with new life. The unblemished lambs sacrificed for the Israelites in the Passover event bring us face to face with Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, whose blood spares us from death. Finally, on Easter we stand on the other side of the tomb, seeing our great enemies--sin, death, and the devil--defeated by Jesus-through His death and resurrection, never to oppress us again.

I want to take this space to encourage all of you to join us not only for weekly worship on Sundays during Lent, but for our midweek and Holy Week services as well. The life of the church is inseparably connected with the life of Jesus. In Lent we deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Him, through suffering and death to resurrection and life. The Lenten liturgical themes of cross and suffering, repentance and forgiveness, are part of our daily lives as God's people. Our Lenten journey with Jesus leads us to a deeper trust in Him as our Savior from sin and a joyful confidence in our own resurrection with Him to eternal life.

Midweek services begin with the Ash Wednesday communion service on March 6, and continue on Wednesday nights during Lent at 7 p.m. The full schedule is printed elsewhere in this newsletter. We will once again be sharing Lenten services with our brothers and sisters at St. Paul and Immanuel. All midweek services will be here at St. John. Please see the schedule for dates and times of Holy Week Services.

God bless you as you prepare to begin your Lenten journey with Jesus!

Peace to you in Christ,

Pastor Merrill