APRIL AT ST. JOHN’S april 2016 the newsletter of st. john’s united methodist church

THE MONTH AHEAD PASTOR’S LETTER 7 Small Group - Yorktown ‘We know the Spirit is moving’ The Yorktown Mall area small group will meet 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 7 for Bible the gift of the Spirit to dead for how many study in Lombard. his people. days?!” we know the That same Spirit is still Spirit is moving. When 9 moving at St. John’s and I they giggle and dance NIC Children’s Table hope you can feel it. around in the water Be a Champion for Children! There is an energy in our poured onto them when Join the conference-wide worship and our time we remember our training event Saturday, April Easter Day has come together and we can see it baptism with gratitude, 9. For more information on and gone, but our season especially in our children. we know the Spirit is how to attend or volunteer, of Easter is just When I announce moving. When they come contact Pastor Nancy Hunter. beginning. The Easter communion and hear a to me asking to be a part Season lasts from Easter small voice cry out, “Yay!” of our worship service, 10 Day until Pentecost on UMM Breakfast Meeting we know the Spirit is we know the Spirit is The men’s group will host May 15. During this moving. When our moving. their Spring Breakfast season we sing about joy, children demand seconds April is a month where meeting 8 a.m. on Sunday, deck the church in white we see the earth thaw and April 10. All are invited. and gold cloth, and read That same Spirit is still dead things come back to moving at St. John’s Scripture about the life. And so, I invite you 17 revelation of love and joy, and I hope you can feel ADCO Meeting to follow the example of honor and glory and it. There is an energy in The Administrative Council our worship and our our children this month blessing we have in Christ will convene Sunday, April 17 time together and we and celebrate the ways after the fellowship hour. All Jesus. We turn from our can see it especially in the Spirit is prompting church staff, committee focus on sin and our children. St. John’s to new and heads, and church leaders mortality in Lent to joy in fuller forms of joyful life should be present. All the eternal life and together. congregants are welcome to forgiveness Christ offers And as always, please (and thirds) of Christ’s attend the meeting. through the resurrection! continue to pray for St. body at the communion We turn from the hard John’s! 18 work of Lent to the table, we know the Spirit Community of refreshment of is moving. When their Congregations Meeting In Christ, celebrating. imaginations are The Community of provoked by Scripture Congregations will have a And it is no accident Pastor Lindsey Joyce spring meeting 7 p.m. on that our Easter Season and worship to ask April 18. Representatives ends at Pentecost, the questions like, “Why is from Housing Forward will birthday of the Church, our cross covered in black come and speak with the day that Christ gives fabric?” and “Jesus was community leaders about homelessness. Location to be announced. april 2016 the newsletter of st. john’s united methodist church

CROP WALK Every year, people from around the Oak Park/River Forest area walk 5 miles to highlight the prevalence of hunger in the community. This year is no different. The 33rd Annual Hunger Walkathon West CROP Walk is Sunday, May 1. Last year, the Walk raised $70,000 for both local food pantries and the Church World Service’s global anti-hunger efforts. This year’s goal is to raise $100,000.Want to help achieve that goal? Contact MISSION SPOTLIGHT Jill Pua Villanueva or visit April is Awareness Month OakParkHungerCropWalk.org.

April is Malaria Awareness Month, which culminates with on April 25. Across the United Methodist connection, people of faith are CELEBRATIONS teaming up to support malaria prevention efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Birthdays Emie Pua, St. John’s Lay Leader and Infection Prevention Practitioner, 3 — April Cyrwus gives us some important facts about this preventable disease. 6 — Crispin Villaflor 7 — Lila Joy Arnold • Malaria is caused by • Indoor residual spraying with 17 — Gloria Domingo parasites that are spread to people insecticides is the most effective 19 — Joash Mencias through the bites of infected way to rapidly reduce 20 — Jacob Romualdo mosquito vectors. transmission. 21 — Reggie Flores • There were an estimated 214 • Access to health care, which can 25 — Linette Romualdo million malaria cases worldwide in provide an early diagnosis and 27 — Leo Mon-Alon 2015, mostly in the sub-Saharan prompt treatment can also 28 — Keith Miranda desert. prevent malaria deaths. 29 — Nicanor Quitoriano • Children under 5 are at a much greater risk: more than two-thirds HOW TO HELP of all malaria deaths occur in this Wedding Anniversaries age group. ‘Imagine No Malaria’ is the United 4 Rev. Reuel and Gloria Talapian • Pregnant women are also very Methodist Church’s official 17 Jduran and Marlet Siniguian vulnerable to malaria. campaign in partnership with the 21 Lolita and Reggie Flores • Sleeping under insecticide-treated Gates Foundation, United Nations mosquito nets is the easiest way Foundation and more. Visit PRAYER LIST people in malaria-affected areas ImagineNoMalaria.org to learn how you can support the cause. can protect themselves. Felisa Mencias, Livia Bores, Nelson’s family, Chris Joyce, Dorothy Murray, Pastor Jerry Grim, Maria Garcia, the family of Benjamin Mascarenes, Rosendo Esguerra, Samuel Grospe, SAVE THE DATE Kim Morjoseph, Marsha Brady, Nora Brown, Kathy Henson, Mark and Church Camp | May 27-29, 2016 Mary, Edwin Henandez, Linda Registration details to be posted online soon. Zelmer and her brother Gary, Andrew Tardecilla, Mary, the Arnold family.