NOISY OFFERING
The noisy offerings collected today and on December 20 will benefit Families Helping Families of the Midlands. Since 1990, the nonprofit Palmetto Project has partnered with WIS News 10 and the Midlands community to bring holiday magic to more than 80,000 families. In 2025, Families Helping Families assisted 3,957 local families.

YOUTH GROUP
The youth group will meet today at 12:30 PM. They will assemble gift bags for senior (age 80 and older) and homebound members. If you would like to contribute items for the gift bags, please contact Jan Samson or Pastor Michele. The youth will prepare a dozen gift bags.

FUNDRAISER FOR RESTORATION CHAPEL
On Tuesday, November 17, Dupre Catering and Events is hosting a fundraising dinner for Restoration Chapel, a ministry of the South Carolina Synod. Restoration Chapel, located in Greenwood, SC, provides a 90-day recovery program for up to ten women at a time.

This $100 per plate dinner will be hosted at 300 Senate Street. Dupre is also accepting donations for this important program.

CONGREGATION MEETING: Sunday, November 22, 2026
Next Sunday, November 22, 2026, following worship, there will be a special congregation meeting to approve a revised constitution. (We have not updated our constitution since 1999.) The updated constitution, which was distributed to all voting members, conforms to the Model Constitution for Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as of August 2025.
Please plan to attend this special meeting next Sunday, so that we will meet or exceed the minimum 25% of voting members needed to constitute a quorum. The updated constitution must be approved by a majority vote of those voting members present and voting. It must then be ratified unchanged at the next regular meeting of this congregation by a two-thirds vote of those voting members present and voting. Our next regular meeting is the annual meeting on December 6, 2026.

COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE
Our annual joint Thanksgiving service with Shady Grove UMC will be held at St. John’s on Sunday, November 22, at 6:00 PM. The Rev. Barry Allen, Shady Grove’s pastor, will deliver the sermon, and Norman McCorkle, Shady Grove’s director of music, will lead a choir composed of members from both congregations.

Serving Schedule

Council has asked Dupre Catering and Events to provide the meal after the service. Members are asked to bring desserts.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
The children’s Christmas program will be held on Sunday, December 13. Rehearsals will be held on November 21, Dec. 5, and Dec. 12. The program will be followed by a covered dish dinner, so plan to bring your favorite dish to share.

CARING FOR OUR FACILITIES
Thank you for the love and dedication you’ve shown during scheduled “work days” at St. John’s. Due to your accomplishments, our facilities are safer and more inviting. In preparation for our holiday activities, Council is seeking volunteers once again to help spruce up our facilities. Please consider volunteering for any of the tasks listed below and work on them as your schedule permits. If supplies are required, please contact a member of Council so that supplies can be purchased for you. If you choose to purchase supplies yourself, please keep your receipts so that we may reimburse you.
• Repair the floodlight on the back of the Sunday School building
• Replace burned-out bulbs in the overhead fixtures in the Fellowship Hall
• Test the floodlights in the Fellowship Hall and replace them as needed
• Clean windows (Steve Kesler)
• Clean exteriors of buildings as needed
• Inventory music in the file cabinet in the back room of the church (Lynn Martin)
• Complete inventory of handbells, associated supplies, and equipment
• Continue organizing craft materials, games, books, and other supplies in the Sunday School building