ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
Alma, Kansas
A family united by faith in Christ gathering around God's Word and Sacraments.
To reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-borne love to each other and to those without Christ!
ANNUAL REPORT 2023
Reports from Auxiliary Organizations
PARISH NURSE MINISTRY
“But I am poor and needy: hasten to me, O God.” Psalm 70:5
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod “encourages Christ-centered wellness for individuals, families, and communities, and that was the basis for the dedication and commission of parish nurses at St. John in 2016. Commissioned parish nurses provide services and continue to promote physical and spiritual wellness to the congregation through monthly blood pressure screenings with health counseling as well as education provided in the monthly newsletter articles. The parish nurses continue as a volunteer health ministry team to serve in a variety of situations to individual members and to the broader community. Parish nursing is a blend of professional nursing and spiritual caregiving.
While parish nurses do not provide “hands on” health care services, we can help to identify and facilitate the use of available resources in the community. One example is participation in quarterly Topeka area meetings to tour long-term care facilities for understanding available services for the elderly and those who need assistance care. These meetings also encourage sharing of parish nurse resources and practices that help to support the congregation to maintain optimal health. Another resource example is the use of the Lutheran Parish Nurse International organization’s monthly health topics that are used frequently in the St. John newsletter.
Mary Hume, RN is a Kansas District-LCMS parish nurse who continues to support local parish nurses. St. John was served by three parish nurses in 2023: Janet Wertzberger, RN; Elaine Becker, RN; and Sandra Wertzberger, RN. Prayers for continued support of this health ministry are appreciated.
O be our great deliverer still,
The Lord of life and death,
Restore and quicken, soothe, and bless,
With Your life-giving breath,
To hands that work and eyes that see
Give wisdom’s healing power
That whole and sick and weak and strong
May praise you evermore.
LSB # 846 v. 3
Janet Wertzberger, RN Parish Nurse
ALTAR GUILD
Altar Guild members are an integral part of the St. John family who serve the Lord by making sure that the chancel, sanctuary, and sacristy are in readiness for all who gather around the Word and Sacraments at all regular and special worship services. Duties include preparing the altar for the Lord’s Supper and making ready for baptisms, funerals, and weddings. Other duties include keeping oil in all the candles, setting flowers out when they are available, changing the paraments, and hanging appropriate banners for the day or the season.
Thank you to the individuals and families who have made the altar more beautiful with the placement of flowers in memory of loved ones or in thankfulness for the blessings in their lives. If you are planning to put flowers on the altar, please check in the storage room behind the sacristy to see if there are vases that you would like to use.
Last year Ruth Messer retired as the Altar Guild chairman. We thank her for her service, and I thank her for mentoring me this last year. Thanks also to Helen Holenbeck and Jennifer and Kaytlyn Meseke who have recently retired from Altar Guild. We welcome new members Diana Rubottom, Nicole Savage, Aston Torrey and Darcy Torrey.
In addition, thanks to Sandy Altevogt for embroidering the baptismal napkin remembrances and Karen Wright, Wright Liquor, who donates the communion wine. Also thanks to members in our congregation who donated their time and talents to make our sanctuary more beautiful. Last year Michael Phillips made and donated two beautiful oak candelabras that are used to hold candles on Good Friday. They are wonderful replacements for the old candelabras that had been increasingly more difficult for Altar Guild members to secure candles in over the last few years. Gayle Grimm recently made two lovely banners that will be displayed at the front of the church on Palm Sunday and Easter and can also be used at other times during the church year. She also made a banner to commemorate the school anniversary celebration. Lynette Phillips made a beautiful new Christmas banner that has been displayed at the front of the church during Advent this year. Lynette also worked to complete another banner that will be displayed at Easter 2024. These are wonderful additions to our banner collection.
With the addition of these new banners, we were able to retire five old banners and gifted four of them to Redeemer Lutheran at Lake Wabaunsee. Through a Thrivent Grant, we were able to polish and lacquer the communion ware that we use for Good Friday.
Thanks to Cheryl Buttenhoff who provides much invaluable support to Altar Guild. She orders needed items and keeps us informed about weddings and funerals. Thank you to all who are willing to “Serve the Lord with Gladness” in 2024.
January Carla Johnson and Deanna Moege
February Judy Pedicord and Cindy Smith
March Elaine Becker and Gayle Grimm
April Kathy Hendricks and Ruth Wille
May Carmen Altevogt and Sandy Altevogt
June Kelsey Stamm and Janet Wertzberger
July Kim Diehl and Melissa Theel
August Marilyn Garrison and Diana Rubottom
September Kara Mayer, Heather Orton and Janelle Schultz
October Cheryl Buttenhoff and Becky Frank
November Ashton Torrey and Darcy Torrey
December Kathy Cox, Abby MacGregor and Debbie MacGregor
Lenten Whitney Howard and Nicole Savage
God Bless the work of the Altar Guild!
In Service to God,
Chairman, Pam Stuewe
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE
The mission of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) is to assist each woman of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in affirming her relationship with the Triune God so that she is equipped to use her gifts in ministry to the people of the world. St. John Lutheran Church has an LWML Friendship Circle organization that meets regularly on the third Wednesday of each month throughout the calendar year. Our purpose and goal each month is to connect with fellow Christian women, study God’s Word, and use the gifts and talents He has given us to be of service to others.
Our meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Each meeting is opened by reciting the LWML pledge and the US and Christian flag pledges. It is followed by a devotion, singing of a hymn, and participating in a Bible study that is either led by a member or Pastor. A business meeting is held and then closed with a devotion. Friendship Circle members participate in our Kansas District LWML activities, including the spring and fall zone rallies hosted by societies in our zone. We support Mite box collections that support mission projects throughout the world, and members attend district and national LWML conventions. On months that have a fifth Sunday, we participate in “Noisy Sunday” where members and the congregation give coins to support the district and national LWML mission projects.
Members of LWML organize funeral luncheons to support families who have lost loved ones.
The Day of Prayer service was hosted in March and had 17 in attendance from Wheaton, Trinity, SPR, and St. John.
Preservice Lenten and Advent meals were served. Funds from two meals were donated for the reroofing of St. John School. LWML also hosted a reception after the zone Reformation service.
Quilts are made by ladies of the congregation and Friendship Circle. Sixty-four quilts were blesses and forty-two were taken to Orphan Grain Train in Wichita while twenty-eight were taken to the Orphan Grain Train site in Topeka. Quilts are made for confirmands and those baptized. The youth were also mentored in quilt tying.
Contributions were made to Wabaunsee High School FCCLA for their trip to the national conference and also to the WHS after prom.
Pastor Grimm and Gayle attended the international LWML convention in Milwaukee.
Our society hosted the fall LWML zone event and also hosted a Christmas brunch.
Our society financially supported Scott Woodhouse, a Ft. Wayne seminary student.
Members of the groups helped plan and work at the first community Thanksgiving meal which was hosted by Holy Family Catholic Church.
Poinsettia plants were purchased and taken to shut-ins.
The officers for 2024 are President – Janet Wertzberger, Vice-President – Debbie MacGregor, Secretary – Sandra Altevogt, and Treasurer – Joyce Diehl.
Submitted by: Sandra Altevogt, Secretary
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE TREASURER'S REPORT
Beginning Balance 1/1/2023 $2,035.90
Receipts: $4,331.31
Disbursements $4,429.65
Balance 12/31/2023 $1,937.56
Joyce Diehl, Treasurer
TEENS FOR CHRIST REPORT - 2023
Teens for Christ has experienced a transition this year. Randy and Jennifer Meseke provided years of leadership and have ended their service in this area. Kim Diehl and Kathy Cox have stepped in to continue ministering to our youth. We are thankful for the continued support of our congregation.
Beginning Balance 01/01/2023 $ 1,015.84
$ 1,015.84Ending Balance 12/31/2023 $ 1,015.84
$ 1,015.84Social Media Report
Electronic media at St John: St. John has broadcast its worship services since March, 2020, via micro-FM transmitter and livestreamed via Facebook. Some Bible classes also have been available via Facebook livestream. At the peak of the pandemic, when large gatherings were discouraged, online synchronous viewing was high (greater than seventy synchronous URLs). As the pandemic has waned, online synchronous viewership has declined as in-person participation in worship and Bible class have rebounded. As 2023 drew to a close, online synchronous viewing typically was between eighteen and twenty-five for regular Sunday worship and eight to fifteen for midweek advent services. Special services, including festivals, funerals, school participation in worship, etc. have various levels of viewership.
Substantial effort is expended to provide the online streaming. Pastor Grimm prepares a PowerPoint deck for each worship service so that text for key elements of the service are displayed for online viewers as well as in the sanctuary. Erik Grimm has assembled and interconnected the equipment necessary for livestreaming. He continues to be a critical technical and software support person for streaming activities. Kathy Hendricks, James McGregor, Tim Songs, Ryan Theel, and Bruce Schultz have been at the ‘control desk’ during worship to guide the camera and stream either from the camera or the PowerPoint presentation, as needed. It would be good to have additional volunteers for streaming activity.
Livestreaming continues to provide an avenue for worship participation that is edifying to members of the congregation who cannot participate in person.
Bruce Schultz, media team spokesman
ST. JOHN PARENT-TEACHER LEAGUE
2023 - 2024 Officers
President: Stephanie Shannon
Vice-President: Chelsie Platz
Secretary: Ashley Seematter
Treasurer: Rachael Manor/Erin Debler
Member-at-Large: Stephanie Maike
St. John Lutheran School continues to be blessed with parents, teachers, staff and families who generously give of themselves. We have the privilege of celebrating 150 years of excellent Christian education. The 2023-2024 school year was marked with our theme, “Connected,” John 15:15.
The Lutheran Parent-Teacher League (LPTL) has historically funded many different activities during the school year, including class field trips, Spring Fling, Awards Night, and Graduation. In addition, the LPTL has continued to organize several fundraisers during the year such as the combined pork chop supper and silent auction, a match day event, running the firework stand, a garage sale, and flower sales. The LPTL also generously supports other needs as identified by SJLS teachers and staff such as art supplies, music and science supplies, maintenance, transportation expenses, Accelerated Reader program, and technology updates. This year, the LPTL was able to support funding towards the new school roof among other projects/activities. The LPTL also collects Coke Reward points, General Mills Box Top points, Dillions rewards, Amazon Smiles funds, and Kickback points from Stop 2 Shop. Another year-round fundraiser includes gift certificate (scrip card) sales in which a percentage comes back to the LPTL.
The school is looking forward to our National Lutheran Schools week, which will be at the end of February in addition to our 150th Anniversary celebration. A shadow day is offered in February to allow families to visit and learn about the school in addition to Kindergarten round up. Planning for a unique twist to the Spring Fling is also in the works.
We feel very blessed to have a Christian school in our community for our children. The LPTL would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the St. John Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, Wamego Mt. Calvary Church, the Board of Christian Education, the School Board, and members of our community for the generous support you give to our school.
Ashley Seematter, LPTL Secretary
