THE MESSENGER

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. John's Chapel

United Church

of Christ

 

 4344 S. Fremont     Avenue

Springfield, MO 

65804-7306

 

      (417) 881-5175

fax (417) 881-1647

 

 www.stjohnschapel.org

pastor@stjohnschapel.org

sec@stjohnschapel.org

 

 Sunday School - 9 a.m.

Worship - 10:30 a.m.

 

 

Pastor

Rev. Becky Hebert

 

Pastor Emeritus

Rev. Robert M. Dohm

 

Council President

Tona Griggs

 

Vice President

Linda Marshak

 

Board of Christian           Education Chair

Joyce Burton

 

Board of Service        Ministries Chair

Elaine Tebbenkamp

 

 

 

 

 Our Mission        Statement:

 

St. John's Chapel UCC is called to love unconditionally, seek justice, foster     spiritual growth, and embrace diversity of thought and body as taught by Jesus Christ.

  Pastoral Reflections by Pastor Becky Hebert

 

Work began this week on our Memorial Garden with Labyrinth.  On June 1, 2008, following worship we will have a “Ground Breaking Ceremony” in front of the church where all the dirt is piled.  Someone said how can you have a ground breaking service when the ground is already broken.  Well, it is sort  of the same way we get Jesus resurrected every Easter.  We do it symbolically.  This does not make it any less real.  For that which has already happened, happens again in our hearts, minds and souls.

 

As I mentioned back in the December 2007 Messenger, I have long felt called to “help a congregation implement a spiritual development program and in collaboration discover, in our shared life, creative opportunities to experience the life-changing presence of God.”  The Spiritual Development group of 2006-2007, at the conclusion of their year in spiritual development, requested  the formation of the Department of Spirituality.  They also felt called to establish a full spirituality program here at St. John’s Chapel.  Their request was approved by Council and the group began to meet.  They formulated a long list of the ways we were already offering spiritual care and guidance and then another long list of what they would want to include in a full spirituality program.  At the top of that list was the Memorial Garden with Labyrinth.  The feeling was that this would be the most visible way for others outside our church to be introduced to what we were offering in the area of spirituality.

 

The idea was brought to the Visioning Committee, the Evangelism Committee (now the Board of Service Ministries) and finally to Strategic Planning to see how we could finance such an venture.  Strategic Planning forwarded their recommendations to Council and Council brought it to you at a Congregational Meeting on March 30, 2008.  You overwhelmingly voted in favor of the idea, and now that which was only once a dream is taking shape on our front lawn.

 

The New-Leader will cover our Ground-Breaking Ceremony on June 1, 2008.  It is still too early to determine whether we will be picked up by any television or radio station, but it is being worked on.

 

When God calls and God’s people respond, a blessing falls on the fruit of their labor.  Come take part in the unfolding of that blessing on:

June 1, 2008

Follow Worship

Ground Breaking Ceremony

of

Memorial Garden with Labyrinth

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings and Love,

Pastor Becky