ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 1
Pastor Mark's Thoughts
April 2015
From across the yard…
Well, another month has passed by. It is surprising how quickly these newsletters come
around.  As I write this newsletter from my living room, I am two weeks away from a very busy week
that will include our Good Friday Service, Holy Saturday Vigil and then our Easter Sunday service.
As we all prepare to begin April and look forward to new beginnings with warmer weather, I
hope that as our Lenten journeys come to a close, we have witnessed God as a caring and
compassionate deity who comes to us on many levels because of His love for each and every one of
us.
This past month has seen a few more of St. John’s faithful servants pass on and leave all of us
with a heavy heart as we realize a life without them. We have also experienced some joys in our
congregation, such as the three youths who will be confirmed on Palm Sunday. Our time together will
run through the end of the Sunday school year and I am excited to continue our conversations. To
Owen, Emily and Taylor, congratulations on making such an important decision to confirm your
baptism in Christ and follow with this faith family in the years to come.
Pastor Mark
April 3 - Good Friday Service at 7:00 PM
April 4 - Easter Vigil Service at 7:00 PM at St. John UCC, Trenton
April 5 - Easter Service at 9:30 AM
ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 2
St. John Prayer List
Countryside Manor – 450 West First Street – Aviston IL 62216: Marty Isler, Ann Lauer
Trenton Village – 980 E. Broadway – Trenton IL 62293: Betty Becker, Jack Milligan, Joyce
Schmitt, Joellen Kimmle
Breese Nursing Home - 1155 N. 1st Street - Breese IL 62230: Red Kuhn
Clinton Manor – 111 E. Illinois Ave. – New Baden IL 62265: Marge Yohe, Bob Schmitt
Faith Countryside - 100 Faith Drive - Highland, IL 62249: Marge Goble
Magnolia Terrace - 623 Hamacher St. - Waterloo, IL 62298: Velva McGavock
At Home: Hal Wehrle, Deb Athmer
BLESSINGS FROM ST. JOHN TO:
CONGRATULATIONS FROM ST. JOHN TO:
April 2
April 5
Jennifer Rogers
Aria Szpila
April 7
April 10
Ken Graul
Lesley Koentz
John Roach
Justin Groennert
April 11
April 15
Macel Ramsey
Erin Klein
Bob Schmitt
April 16
April 17
Karen Kunz
Elaine Brueggemann
April 20
April 24
Karen Krueger
Mark Peters
Dalanee Materkowski
April 26
April 27
Garrett Wesselmann
Matt Schaeffer
April 30
Sydney Bair
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Our Sympathy to the family of Wilma Graesser
who passed away February 27th. She will be
missed by many. Funeral service was March 3rd
with interment in Trenton Cemetery with Rev.
Mark Stryjak officiating.
We also express our sympathy to the family of
Tom Hull who passed away March 5th. Funeral
service was March 10th with interment in Trenton
Cemetery with Rev. Mark Stryjak officiating.
Our congratulations to the family of Hudson
Szpila who was baptized on March 28th at St.
John UCC.
April 2
Joyce & Bob Schmitt
April 16
Tim & Cheryl Bair
Deb & Sherman West
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Our Thanks To:
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Tim Materkowski, John Groennert &
Jordan Groennert who kept our
sidewalks and parking areas clear of
snow and ice during the last round of
bad weather.
To Richard Sappington who fixed the
electrical outlets in the offices
All who brought food and helped out
with luncheons and funeral
preparations.
"Our Church Family, Your support of
Ted and our family during his illness
and death were amazing. Ted felt your
love and it helped him to know you'd
still be there for us after he was called
home. Your prayers, cards, well
wishes, gifts, food, and visits were just
what we needed and it will never be
forgotten. We feel truly blessed to be
members of St. John's. Love from your
friends in Christ, Cathy
and Ryan Haller"
ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 3
Worship Participants
Thank you for your service to the church!!
ACOLYTES:
GREETERS:
April 5:
April 12:
April 19:
April 26:
Karen Kunz
Lois Winkler
Greg Erdmann
Charles & Doreen Wallace
April 5:
April 12:
April 19:
April 26:
Youth member
Youth member
Youth member
Youth member
April 5:
April 12:
April 19:
April 26:
Mickey Williamson
Women’s J.O.Y. Fellowship
Worship Committee
Congregational Life
COFFEE HOUR HOST/S:
LITURGISTS:
April 5: Lisa Groennert
April 12: Emma Haller
April 19: Hank Henderson
April 26:
If you would like to be a liturgist for a Sunday or a
series of Sundays, please let the church office
know. We have openings available. Thank you!
If you would like to supply the Coffee Hour
refreshments for a first Sunday of the month in
2015, there is a sign-up sheet on the table in the
narthex. Thank you!
Pastor Mark can be contacted at 224-9828 (work) or 224-6009 (home) or stjohntrenton@yahoo.com.
Pastor's general office hours are 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Monday through Thursday with Fridays off.
Meetings are by appointment.
COMMUNION PREPARATION
April: Connie Zimmers
Men's Fellowship Breakfast
For April the Men's Fellowship Breakfast will be on Tuesday, April 7 at 8:00 AM.
All men of the congregation are invited to join us for good food and great fellowship at
Good Ol' Days in New Baden. If there are other men's fellowship activities you would
like to participate in, please talk to Pastor Mark.
ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 4
...The Council President
Your Council held a long and lively meeting in March. As much as we
might not really enjoy talking about St. John’s financial situation it is a subject
that has to be tackled. At our monthly meetings we regularly review the income
situation and the actual and planned expenses. We are working as the
stewards of the church’s resources to the best of our abilities. Note that without
an active Finance Committee at St. John that our efforts are somewhat
hampered!
 Lenten services continue and, again please plan to attend the Region 8
Easter Vigil service that St. John will be hosting.
 We very much appreciated the great number of folks that stayed for the fundraising
brainstorming session on March 8th – we plan to summarize that input into a bulletin insert to
help take the next steps.
 Look for more news from Stan C. as he transitions Planning/Visioning Team’s efforts into an
ongoing Stewardship focus to help us climb out of our financial situation.
I look forward to help from all of you and ask that you contact me with your ideas,
encouragements and concerns, please.
Regards,
Hank Henderson
Women’s J.O.Y. Fellowship
John Zeller delivered the March items to Kindercottage on Monday. He
delivered eight large containers of disinfectant wipes, some of those handy dirt
erasers, a bottle of window cleaner, six spray bottles of all purpose cleaner, a
gallon of bleach, six bottles of concentrated all purpose cleaner in various sizes,
and three bottles of toilet bowl cleaner.
It was a last item that stirred up the kids - a large container of cheese puffs. The ensuing
ruckus has lead to a request for snacks by the bigger kids. They like animal crackers, little pudding
and Jello cups, graham crackers, chewy fruit snacks, raisins, yogurt covered raisins, etc. We'll take
those items to Kindercottage after Sunday, April 12.
Brenda Crisp is extremely grateful for all the support shown to Kindercottage the last four
years. They remain open and hopeful of a financial turnaround.
The Women's J.O.Y. Fellowship will dye eggs with the Sunday School children on Saturday,
April 4, beginning at 1 PM. There is no need to bring eggs. If you are planning to bring a friend,
please let one of the Sunday School teachers know in advance so there will be enough eggs for
everyone.
The next meeting for the Women's J.O.Y. will be Tuesday, April 7, at 7:30 PM. All ladies of the
church are invited to attend.
ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 5
Christian Ed News
Congratulations to Taylor Fisher, Owen Henderson and Emily Von Bokel on the confirmation of
their baptismal vows on Palm Sunday. They have been studying with Pastor Mark this past year and
will be reading a Gospel of their choosing and then presenting a paper regarding three things that
speak to them and three things that relate to their lives. Emily will be reading Matthew, Owen will be
reading Luke and Taylor will be reading John. The presentation of this information will be given on
Sunday, April 19. Please offer them your support and guidance!
The Christian Ed Department of St. John has received the "Camp Discovery"
materials for Vacation Bible School this summer which will be a MONDAYS ONLY
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL. We'll have VBS every Monday in June, the 1st, 8th,
15th, 22nd, and 29th from 9:00 until 11:30 AM each day. "Camp Discovery" highlights
the fact that Jesus is at work through each of us. Of course, we will need some help
from adults and teenagers but we are hoping that having to help only one morning a
week will work for more participants. The staff is also asking for donations to cover the
cost of crafts and snacks. If you would like to donate, please use a separate envelope
and mark it "VBS donation". If you would like to help out, please see Cathy Haller, our "chief
camper." Registration information will be coming soon so make sure to read the weekly
announcements.
Easter Egg Hunt
The Sunday School children will have their egg hunt following service on
Easter Sunday. The Primary Children (Lana's class) will hunt out front, weather
permitting. Please bring a basket for your eggs. The bigger kids (downstairs) will
have a scavenger hunt in the basement and will have a container provided.
Pastor Mark will be taking a week off from April 7th to the 14th. If an emergency should arise, please
call Rev. Dr. Don Wagner, pastor of St. John UCC, Lebanon, at 537-4991.
HELPERS NEEDED
Do you have an hour a week to help lift the spirits of congregational members who
are in need? The Sonshine Ministry meets on a weekly basis to send greeting cards to
those who have been ill, away from the church or just in need of a pick-me-up. If you can
help out in this area, please contact Doris Jones at 224-9314. Meeting days and times
are flexible.
If you would like to read the liturgy on Sundays, a sign-up sheet is out in the
narthex. Please see what date works for you this spring and summer. Thank you for
your help!
ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 6
Jar Donations
During January St. John collected over $73.00 towards Hitz Home. During April we will be
taking jar donations for Emmaus Homes whose mission is to enhance the quality of life
communities for adults with cognitive, intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
They provide homes and programming at two campuses in St. Charles and
Marthasville, MO. They also have homes in surrounding communities. Thank you for
your help towards this ministry.
C.H.C.S., Inc.
Christian HomeCare Services, Inc. would like to invite you to an upcoming Quarter Auction
Fundraiser on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at Union United Methodist Church in Belleville, Illinois from
2:00-5:00 p.m. Vendors from multiple companies will have display tables showcasing their products.
Come support CHCS, Inc., shop our vendors and WIN some awesome prizes!
Guests are required to purchase at least one paddle. Single Quarter Bid Paddles are
$5/paddle and make sure you bring your quarters! The best value is the $25 All-InPaddle that allows guests to bid on every item without using quarters. See Lois or
Stan Clark for further information. Guests are welcome to bring non-alcoholic
drinks and snacks. There will be soda, water and limited snacks available for
purchase.
Christian HomeCare Services, Inc. is a 501(c)3 offering faith-based, quality
and compassionate support services to individuals 60+ to assist in their
independence while remaining at home. In 2015, our volunteers and staff reached out to more than
2,300 individuals who needed support with nearly 6,000 different requests including assistance on
state and federal programs, transportation and in-home care. This help can be attributed to support
largely from people, like YOU, who continually support the older adults in our area through our
fundraising efforts.
To find out how Christian HomeCare Services, Inc. help you or someone you know, please
contact Jamie at 618-537-9590 or visit www.chcsinc.org.
Quilt Display
Thanks to Lana Tobin for bringing in a quilt for display in the narthex. Lana
will be continuing to display quilts for the next three months into the summer. If you
have a quilt you would like to share with the congregation, please use the sign-up
sheet on the table in the narthex. If you want to add a little bit of history about your
quilt, we would be glad to print it.
Red Cross Blood Drive
St. John UCC is sponsoring a Red Cross blood drive for the Trenton
Community on Wednesday, April 15th from 3:00-7:00 PM in the chapel of the
church. If you wish, you can visit redcrossblood.org and enter the keyword
Trenton Community to schedule an appointment. A photo ID is required to
donate. For further information call 1-800-RED CROSS.
ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 7
March has been an ever changing time for us. The weather has been difficult at times leaving us
with way too much inside time. The numerous flu variations have kept the classes in a constant state
of variation with sometimes four or more students absent on a given day. Overall, the students have
responded in a positive manner. There have been a few speed bumps we hope to avoid for the
remainder of the year. However, it has been an adjustment and lesson for all of us!
We had several birthdays in March. A very “Happy Birthday” wishes to Liam Guzman and Dylan
Swofford on March 5th, and to Grace Johnson on March 29th! It is always fun to celebrate birthdays
with our friends.
The classes this year have several summer birthdays. We always try to give each child a day to
celebrate his/her birthday prior to our last day on May 15th. Please watch both the April/May
calendars for your child’s special day. If you wish to send in a treat, please let us know in advance.
Just as a reminder, we will be in attendance on Wednesday, April 1 st. I realize Wesclin has an inservice day and is not in attendance. We take most holidays to match the Wesclin calendar;
however, we do not take the other in-service related time-off. If your child will not be in attendance,
please let us know. Thank-you! We will also send our homework packets on Monday/Tuesday, with
the plan for the work to return after the vacation. That means the Mon/Wed/Fri students will receive
his/her packet on Monday, March 30th; and return it on Wednesday April 8th. The Tues/Thurs class
will receive the homework on March 31st, and return the packet on Tuesday, April 7th. If you have any
questions, please call or email. We usually try not to do homework over weekends, but this is the
exception. The students will have some extra pages in case he/she becomes bored with the time
away from school!
The children have been presenting a few challenges lately. We have met a few unusual
challenges in some cases. I am sure that you noticed on some days you son/daughter has “work” to
complete when he/she arrives at school. It is usually due to the simple fact he/she has chosen to
delay/converse/or otherwise not finish a project the day prior. So the natural consequence is that
Center Time is delayed and shortened until work is done. “Spring Fever” can sometimes create
chaos and we still have several weeks until the end of school. We have noticed an increase in timeouts in both classes. Again, sometimes it is more difficult to stay focused on rules and lessons
instead of social time and “I” wants. Please understand if your son/daughter is among those involved,
that it is all part of the process. Likewise, a few students have begun getting rewards/tokens for
completing work in a timely and correct manner, following directions the first time, listening quietly,
and other positive behaviors.
The school year end is rushing at us, so here are a couple of reminders. Our closing program will
be May 14th at 7:00 pm here at St. John UCC. The last day of school will be Friday, May 15 th. We are
currently registering for the next school year. Please let us know your plans if you have not returned
the 2015-16 Registration Form. If you know of other children who are interested in Rainbow
Preschool, please let us know so we can get the information to them. Also, if you are late in tuition
payment, please try to settle the account in April. If you have any questions, please call or email.
Have a wonderful Easter celebration with your children!!!!
Kathy
ST JOHN UCC – April 2015 / page 8
Highlights of March 17 Council Meeting
Members: Dustin Atwood, Tim Bair, Greg Erdmann, Marian Funk, Lisa Groennert, Cathy
Haller, Hank Henderson, Bev Rogers, and Connie Zimmers
(Official copies of the Minutes are available upon request.)
Items discussed:
 Holy week services
 Budget
 Prayer chain
 Summer feeding request
 Wesclin prom night solicitation
 Hymnals feedback
 Gateway Grizzlies tickets
Next meeting is April 17th at 7:00 PM.
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Tickets are on sale for the "Illinois South Conference 50 Years of Faith and Fun" event on
Sunday, May 3rd from 3:00 to 8:00 PM at the Gateway Grizzlies Stadium. Buy your
tickets at St. John from April 15th to April 19th. Advance ticket cost is $5/individual or
$10/family (regardless of size) See Leon Jones for advance tickets before and after
service. Join others from Illinois South Conference & DuBois Center for a day of
celebration filled with fun. Check out these things to do!
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3:00 pm Home Run Derby & Band from Bethel UCC in Cahokia and Vennedy Band
4:00 pm Tug of War (Get your church/region team together!) & Waterloo German Band
4:30 pm Kick Ball Tournament (Get your church/region team together!)
5:30 pm Tricycle Races & Geoffrey Black & Eden Jazz Band Steel Drummer
6:00 pm Field open to kids wanting to hit and run bases & Backroads Band
7:00 pm Sheltered Reality
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These Games are available throughout the day, between events
Gaga Pit
Bag Toss
Washers
Bocce Ball
Duck Pond
Bounce Houses
Photo Opportunity
Face Painting
9 Square in the Air
Carpet Ball
Pig Races
Carnival Games
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Easter Sunrise Ecumenical Service
April 5th at 7:00 AM
Grace Community Baptist Church