Poster - Worship Slides

Poster - Front-and-Center Slides

Poster - Event Slides

Why the Reformation? Is it Still Relevant?

2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Saint John’s Lutheran Church began this anniversary year with a special presentation on November 3, 2016: “Why the Reformation? Is it Still Relevant?”

Rev. Dr. Rod Rosenbladt (Ph.D. University of Strasbourg), professor emeritus of Systematic Theology and Apologetics (Concordia University, Irvine, California), co-host of the White Horse Inn radio program and author of works including Christ Alone and “The Gospel for those Broken by the Church,” shed light on the reasons for the Protestant Reformation and its ongoing significance for the Church today.

What started on the Eve of All Saints Day, 1517, with Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses Against Indulgences, would greatly impact Western culture, affecting and changing the economic, political and social landscape of sixteenth-​century Europe. However, the Reformers’ primary concern was seeking the pure and clear teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, setting it free from the shackles of medieval theology and practices that had obscured and distorted Jesus’ person and work.

A New Church Brochure!

The Board of Outreach is happy to finally have a new church brochure! This bright and colorful piece shows Saint John’s in action and gives visitors and prospective members a glimpse at our church family.

The brochures are available at the Welcome Center. Please take one if you’d like one for yourself or—especially—if you have someone to pass it along to. The brochures will also be placed at the Fort Collins Visitor Center and out at the State Welcome Center (on Prospect Road) soon.

Pastor Nettleton’s message reads:

We are delighted and honored to have you visit us! At Saint John’s we joyfully believe, teach and confess the Biblical teaching that by His death and resurrection Jesus Christ has won forgiveness, life and salvation for us and all people.

As the Holy Spirit has called and gathered us together to be His church in this place, God richly and abundantly strengthens and nourishes our faith with His gifts of Word and Sacrament. Gathered around Christ’s life-giving gifts, we serve one another and our neighbors near and far with the grace, love and mercy He has shown us. We hope and pray that God will move you to join us in this life we share together in Christ!

We hope you like this new publication piece. Please let a board member—RoxAnn Karkhoff-Schweizer, Pastor Nettleton, Tom Miles or Tracy Young—know if you have any ideas about improvements or other places where we might be able to put the brochure to let our community know about Saint John’s!

The Board of Outreach enlists God’s people at Saint John’s in the work of spreading the gospel to the unchurched and works to deepen the faith and activity of the members of the congregation.

Website Updates

We’ve been working hard on tidying up and improving this site, and would appreciate your feedback.

In November and December, Bob Gann updated the site to a newer framework that has made the site responsive, cleaner and a bit easier to manage. The look is mostly the same, but the underlying technology is more up-to-date.

Mary Harp, one of our faithful office volunteers, has been working to keep the banners at the top of the page current. She’s also been putting up fresh content at our Facebook page every week. If you have a Facebook account, you really ought to “Like” Saint John’s. You’ll then see the photos and event announcements that Mary puts up and be able to take part in the conversations that happen in the online Saint John’s community.

We continue to offer the bulletin and message from each worship service for viewing/listening and download right on the front page (with older services available on the “Worship” page). And you can now share Saint John’s worship live with your friends and family from out of town or who may not be able to make it to Saint John’s! Look for the “Website UpdatesWorship Stream” link on the left side of the page (it’s under the Facebook link). All of our services are streamed live after a brief ad (which allows us to stream for free).

Tom Miles is the Parish Administrator at Saint John’s. You can reach him at the church office Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to Noon and 1:00 to 4:00 pm, at 482-5316 or at miles@StJohnsFC.org.

Share the Celebration

Here we are again. What a wonderful time for Christians! Advent, Christmas—the celebration of Jesus’ birth are times to rejoice. Are you making plans for all the festivities, and most importantly, for sharing your faith? The Board of Outreach would like to encourage everyone to think, plan and pray for opportunities to invite someone you know to share in the celebration of Christmas.

There will be a Family Service on Sunday, December 18, a single service that is enjoyed by all. It is a popular service that includes the children, youth and adults that brings blessings and a smile while worshiping our Lord. This year it will be a joyful service that will help us rejoice in our Savior’s birth.

On Christmas Eve, there will be two candlelight services with special music and a celebration for anyone to enjoy.

The Christmas Day service is a joyful way to truly get our hearts focused on what Christmas means to Christians everywhere—the Christ coming to live among us.

The Outreach Board has looked at how to best use available funds toward advertising and try to reach as many as possible with information about Saint John’s festival services. We also think the most effective way to bring people into Christ’s church over the holiday season is by a personal invitation. We are asking you to be aware of the people in your personal circle outside the church who don’t have a church home. These people could be neighbors, co-workers, friends, family members, bank tellers, or even people who check your groceries with whom you have a relationship. If you have someone specific in mind, pray for the opportunity to invite them. Pray for the words to say with love and sharing the good news of the gospel. Pray for courage that you may be bold in sharing Christ’s love with those who do not know the peace and comfort that comes with a humble Savior, born in a manger some 2000 years ago.

There will be invitations printed and handed out on Sunday mornings with the information detailing Saint John’s festival services. We encourage you to take them and get them into the hands of those who do not have plans for worship around the Christmas season. All you can do is invite, follow up with prayer, and let God work in their hearts. He can change hearts, we cannot.

My wife shared a devotion with me from Oswald Chambers. It focuses on this passage, from John 7:38: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Then Chambers goes on, “A river reaches places which its source never knows.” Jesus is the Source. “If we have received his fullness, ‘rivers of living water’ will flow out of us, reaching in blessing ‘to the end of the earth.’” Chambers talks on about how the river moves around obstacles, obstacles that give us doubt, or fear, or insecurities. But if we focus on the Source, he will take us around or remove the obstacle. “Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty.”

Chambers finishes the devotion with these words: “If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has developed and nourished in you mighty, rushing rivers of blessing for others.”

Be a blessing to others and give someone the best Christmas gift that you may ever give—a simple invitation to join us in a Christmas Celebration.

The Board of Outreach enlists God’s people at Saint John’s in the work of spreading the gospel to the unchurched and works to deepen the faith and activity of the members of the congregation.

Final Signage Project News

The Board of Outreach joins the congregation in celebrating the final completion of the exterior signage project. This past month, additional funds were donated by a variety of individuals and families to enable the lighting to be completed on the exterior signs. Our church is now a more visible and friendly place to worship and attend evening services, meetings, and programs, especially in these dark winter months.

Again, thank you to all who have made the signage project a success. If you have questions, please contact any member of the Board of Outreach for additional information.

This is the new sign on the Elizabeth Street side of the church, pointing guests to the lower office door.

This sign is attached to the flower bed in front of the old front doors facing Elizabeth Street. Note that we’re now calling the Sanctuary the “Worship Center” in a move to make our churchy nomenclature a bit more visitor-friendly.

We have three signs guiding guests to the parking lot behind the church, one at each entrance. This is the one on Elizabeth Street.

This is the parking lot sign off of Garfield Street.

There is a new sign pointing visitors to the church offices, the felllowship halls and the preschool. It’s near the entrance by the Large Fellowship Hall.

Finally, this placard-type sign was added above the “new” main entrance on the south side of the church.

The Board of Outreach enlists God’s people at Saint John’s in the work of spreading the gospel to the unchurched and works to deepen the faith and activity of the members of the congregation.