Announcements

Both Pastors Receive Divine Calls
Both of our full-time pastors received Divine Calls to other parishes this past weekend.

Pastor Zak was called to be pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Clarksville, Maryland. Clarksville is considered a bedroom community of Washington, DC, and Baltimore.

Pastor Bitter was called to be associate pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. St. Paul's is large congregation with a school, and is the church home to many professors and staff from Martin Luther College.

Please feel free to call or email the pastors with your questions and comments. Also be sure to keep them and their families in your prayers as they deliberate where to continue their service in Christ's Church.

Midweek Lent Services

Every Wednesday (Feb. 17 - Mar. 24) at 3:45 & 6:30 p.m.
In-person and streaming
No fellowship meal
When the characters in the Passion narrative look at Jesus, what do they see? In most cases, people misunderstood who he is and what he was doing. In some cases, by faith, people recognized him aright. Our midweek Lent series this year, Eyes on Jesus is based on the Passion according to St. Mark. We will examine how the various people around Jesus viewed him—and how we should view him. We will “fix our eyes” on what Jesus has done to save us from our sins by his holy, precious blood and innocent suffering and death, and celebrate what God sees on account of his work: our justification for his sake.

Christ's Kingdom Will Have No End
Sunday Bible Study ~ Online Thursday

“My kingdom is not of this world.” So spoke our Lord Jesus to Pontius Pilate. How, then, do we discern the Kingdom of God from the kingdoms of the world? What is their difference in purpose and their means for achieving those purposes? If government is instituted by God, what form of government is best? Continuing Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in the Community Room, we will explore the teaching of the two kingdoms and consider our role in each of those kingdoms.

This study will also be offered ONLINE Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Go to stjohnsmilw.org and click the "online Bible study" banner.

The goal of the course will be to equip Christians for conversations regarding politics and our hope “for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”

Additional Sunday Class

Sundays at 9:30 a.m. ~ New Building Classroom (2nd floor)
Childcare available

"Coming Home" - Receiving rest for our restless hearts

Life can be very overwhelming and exhausting. There are a variety of reasons for this - some of which we are well aware and others that are a little more subtle. God's Word is a rendezvous point where he meets us in our restlessness with his gifts of peace and hope. Beginning this Sunday, February 21 at 9:30 a.m., join us for the eight-week class: "Coming Home - Receiving rest for our restless hearts." We'll explore the Biblical themes that trace God's work to restore creation to flourish in his peace and presence. We'll also see how this relates to participating in a local congregation of believers like St. John's. All are invited to attend and we will meet in one of the classrooms on the 2nd floor of the new building.

"Coming Home" is St. John's version of Bible Information Class.

Public Reading of Scripture

In one of his letters to a Christian leader, the apostle Paul wrote, "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture" (1 Tim. 4:13). One of the main ways that God forms and shapes Christian communities is when they read aloud large portions of the Biblical narrative.

This Sunday, February 14 at 6:30 p.m., we're going to begin a journey through the book of Daniel. There will be no handouts or designated leader. We will simply read the narrative for 30-40 minutes, discuss for 10 minutes, pray and enjoy each other's company. We will continue this pattern each week and will meet in the Community Room. Please bring a Bible.

Easter Flowers
It’s time to order your flowers for the Easter altar at St. John’s. Several varieties are available at a cost of $12-20. Flowers will be available to take home following the 10:45 service on Easter Sunday, April 4, or you can arrange to pick them up during the following week. CLICK HERE for the order form, on which you will find directions on how to make your order. Orders must be received no later than Sunday, March 21.

If you have any questions, or to order by email or phone, contact Sue Steffen.

School News

Mrs. Coudron Holding a Call
Mrs. Katie Coudron has received a Call to teach K5 through 3rd grades at Trinity Lutheran School in Waco, Nebraska. Please keep Mrs. Coudron and her family in your prayers as she decides where to continue her teaching ministry.

Revised "Back-to-School" Plan Submitted to MKE Health Department
On Friday, February 12, Principal Rust resubmitted St. John's Back-to-School Plan to the Milwaukee Health Department. The revision proposes allowing all of our students to return to school four days per week, Monday through Thursday. If this revised plan is approved, St. John's will begin the new schedule sometime in March. Fridays would remain virtual days for all students. We will let the congregation know when Mr. Rust receives an answer from the Health Dept.

St. John's Food Bank Needs Restocking

St. John’s Member Care Committee is asking you to donate items that they can pass on to members who are in need. The following items are needed:

Items needed: jars of spaghetti sauce, packets of instant oatmeal, jelly, 4 or 6 packs of toilet paper, kleenex, paper towels, large bottles of juice, canned ravioli or beefaroni (etc.), snack crackers, small canned ham (for Easter). Please check expiration dates.
In-person monetary donations: Make checks payable to “St. John’s,” write “Member Care Committee” on the memo line.
Online donations: Donate through our website. Be sure to select "Member Care" in the Fund field.
Gift cards (Ex: Pick & Save, Target and gas cards)

You may place your food donations in the boxes located in the Welcome Center entry and school entry. Monetary and gift card donations can be given to office staff or placed in the box at the Welcome Center kiosk.

St. John's, let's take this opportunity to be generous and fill the containers to the brim so that we may continue to serve our neighbors through our food pantry ministry!

If your family could use a bag of groceries from the St. John's food bank this week, please call the church office at 414-541-5881.

Are you a Thrivent Member?

It's not too late to designate your Thrivent Choice Dollars to a charitable organization of your choice, including St. John's. Log into your Thrivent account or call your Thrivent representative to make your designation. CLICK HERE for more information.

Part-time Position

Looking to work in a Christian environment for up to 20 hours a week? Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary is looking for another team member to join our janitorial staff. Applicant needs to have attention to detail and be self-motivated. Contact Dennis Sprenger at dennis.sprenger@wisluthsem.org or 262-242-8130.