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!
September 2025 Friendship Circle News
Meeting Date: Wednesday, September 17 at 1:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall
Hymn: "Jesus Loves Me" LSB 588
Devotion: led by Janet Wertzberger
Roll Call: Bible verse with Taught or Teach in it
Bible Study: Paula Moege
Business: Appoint Nominating Committee, Appoint Yearbook Committee, Fall Zone Event
We spent our meeting time on August 20th planning for Noisy Sunday which is August 31st and for LWML Sunday which we will celebrate on September 28th. We decided to help financially support a senior at Concordia-Nebraska who is studying to be a teacher, and we’re looking forward to our Fall Event on September 20th in McFarland, an LWML Christian Life Retreat in November in Salina, and the Manhattan Zone Spring Event in March of 2026.
Join us at our next meeting, if you’re able! We’d love to have you!
MISSION QUILT TOPS: The Friendship Circle meets twice a month to tie quilts for various missions. We currently have a generous supply of fabric scraps that can be sewn into more quilt tops. We are looking for folks who are willing to make quilt tops for these mission quilts. Your help is needed. At this time the size is not a specific size requirement although we have made baby quilts, lap quilts, and quilts sized to 60”x80” that fit our frame. We typically donate these quilts to local helping organizations as well as to the Kansas Orphan Grain Train. Please consider how you might be able to support this mission.
LUNCH BUNCH will be held at Barleycorn’s in Wamego on September 14th at 11:00 a.m.
BOOK STUDY: The After the District Convention, President Panzer encouraged the delegates to read “The Small Town Lutheran Church and Pastor.” The author, Rev. Heath Curtis, was born in Hastings, NE, and grew up in Beatrice. The book is easy to read and relatively short (70 pages). The Thursday evening book study group is discussing this book and will meet September 11th at Bruce and Kathy Schultz’s home and September 25th at Elaine Becker’s home.
JUBELLATION will be practicing on Wednesday evenings with set-up from 6:00-6:15 p.m.
VOICES FOR GOD: The first practice in September will be Monday the 8th. We will sing “Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone” September 28th. We are still asking for help making a joyful noise to the Lord.
RE:VITALITY: St. John is doing an internal analysis of our congregation in order to facilitate and promote the elements needed for growth and service to our Savior. We would like all our members over 10 years of age to participate and respond to a 20-minute survey. It asks many questions about how we each perceive our congregation and ministry. We are using the consulting tool provided by our church body, the LCMS, called CADDS [Congregational Assessment of Development/Decline Status]. The survey closes August 31.
CARING NEIGHBORS CANCER FUND: This fund was established in 2015 by a group of local community members whose goal is to financially assist people living in Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties who are currently receiving treatment for cancer. The committee's purpose is to help defray some expenses for patients not covered by health insurance, such as insurance deductibles, airfare, lodging, and food.
Money is generated through donations, memorials, and fundraising events. The fund is a 501(c)3 with no administrative costs since the committee is an all-volunteer team. The criteria for assistance are to be currently receiving cancer treatments and living in Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties. There is a simple application form that needs to be filled out with two committee members present. The names of those who receive assistance are kept in the strictest confidence. For more information, or to request assistance, you may contact either Chris Day at 785-456-5325 or Donna Goehring at 785-458-9205.
KARSTEN BREINER RECOVERY FUND: A fund has been set up at the Bank of the Flint Hills. Karsten sustained foot & leg injuries in a wreck on June 20th. He has had numerous surgeries and will need a prosthetic for his leg. Donations may be made at the bank. Questions may be directed to Jared Schultz, 785-617-0181 or jschultz@usd329.org. Proceeds from the fund will go toward medical expenses and a prosthetic.
WORSHIP CONFERENCE: On August 16, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Topeka, KS, is hosting its annual Worship Conference to provide continuing education and conversation for pastors, church musicians, and congregation members interested in the song and worship of the Church. The keynote will be a lecture on the Psalms and their use in church, as they point to Jesus Christ. The speaker for this year’s conference is Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Boyle, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions at Concordia Theological Seminary and the Director of Field Education. The cost is $25 which includes lunch. To register, please go the bottom of the first page of their website: https://stjohnlcmstopeka.org/
BLUE JEANS DRIVE (MEN'S ONLY): The Salina Rescue Mission will be picking up donated jeans and slacks on September 2nd.
YOUR TIME IN GOD’S WORD: You can guide your time with the latest Apps from Concordia Publishing House. The “In Prayer” app is simple with a user- friendly layout. You can access devotions, organize the content, and purchase a variety of in-app resources such as “Portals of Prayer.” Annual subscriptions start at $9.00 per year. The Lutheran Study Bible app has just added an audio feature with clear, human narration of the full ESV Bible. Other features include complete Bible text with Lutheran study notes, over 200 articles, maps, and book introductions, cross-references and linked articles, and more. The annual subscription rate is $9.99 or $2.99 per month.
TEENS FOR CHRIST: The youth group will have a meeting and pool party on Sunday, September 5th at 5:00 p.m. Kathy and Chris Cox have graciously hosted this event at their home on 29161 Lindbergh Rd. Students in grades 8 through 12 are invited. Hot dogs with all the fixings will be served. Bring a friend! For more information, contact Kim Diehl at 785-302-1492.
THEOLOGY ON TAP: The next event will be Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. You may also join via Zoom.
THE 2025 SUNFLOWER FAIR will be held Tuesday, September 16th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Salina’s Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina, Kansas. The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging is celebrating 50 years of services for older Kansans and their caregivers. The agenda includes guest speakers on various topics important to older citizens, a sit-down banquet lunch, and live entertainment. Registration and $25 are due by September 8, 2025, by going to ncfhaaa.com or calling 1-800-432-2703.
BLOOD DRIVE: Holy Family Catholic Church is hosting a blood drive on September 22nd from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. You may donate and receive a $10 Amazon gift card by email. You may also donate at the American Red Cross at 1321 SW Topeka Boulevard in Topeka or in Manhattan at 2601 Anderson Ave., Suite 200 through October 19th to receive the gift card.
FUNDRAISING BANQUET: The Salina Rescue Mission is celebrating changed lives with the 44th Annual Fundraising Banquet on September 23rd at Webster Conference Center on 2601 N. Ohio in Salina, Kansas. Choose from a noon luncheon or a 6:30 p.m. dinner. Each will have a program with chapel following the meals. A special musical performance by Cornerstone Classical School Student Choir is included. An opportunity to make a financial gift will be extended. Reservations need to be made by September 5th by contacting events@salinarescuemission.com or Cheryl at 785-833-6743.
LUTHERANS FOR LIFE: The 2025 National Conference will be held at the Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs, Colorado, September 24-26, 2025. Fearfully and Wonderfully Made is the theme for this year. Guest speakers are Jim Daly, Jack Phillips, Judge Ruth Neely Joy Pullman and many more. Register by calling 888-364-LIFE (5433).
CHRIST ACADEMY COLLEGE: Students who are attending college or about to start are invited to attend Christ Academy College October 24-28. At this event, students are able to spend a few days with other college-aged Lutherans from around the country who value their faith like they do – something that might be in short supply on their own college campuses. It’s a little like college, with classes and scheduled activities, but Christ is at the center of it all. Learn more by contacting Concordia Theological Seminary at Christ Academy@ctsfw.edu.
LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES: If you don’t have a will or would like to update your current one, Lutheran Hour Ministries has a website that will help in that endeavor. The website is lhm.christianwill.org.
ABORTION: A Wichita abortion facility has filed a lawsuit seeking to change a Kansas law that barred non-physicians from prescribing dangerous abortion pills. Under current law, non-doctors are prohibited from doing so – a common-sense safeguard for women that has been in place for decades to prevent individuals with significantly less medical training from distributing the chemicals. In related news, Costco announced that it will not sell the abortion pill, mifepristone, at any of its U.S. pharmacy locations.
THE JOHNSON AMENDMENT: Recent news about a legal agreement involving churches and the IRS has created confusion. While some reports exaggerate the changes, it’s important to understand what’s really happening—and what it means for the mission of your church.
What Is the Johnson Amendment? In 1954, Senator Lyndon Johnson added a rule to the tax code that prevented tax-exempt groups—including churches—from endorsing or opposing political candidates. Though rarely enforced, it has caused fear among churches about speaking on topics that might seem political, even when rooted in Scripture.
What Just Happened? A proposed legal agreement with the IRS says churches may speak to their congregations on matters of faith, through regular worship and communications, without violating the Johnson Amendment. The agreement clarifies that biblical teaching—even when addressing cultural or political issues—does not count as improper political activity.
What Does This Mean for Churches? Churches should never have feared preaching God’s truth. While this ruling doesn’t remove every risk—especially when naming or endorsing candidates—it does affirm the right to speak clearly on moral and spiritual issues. Scripture remains our authority, not politics.
Evangelical churches are called to proclaim the whole counsel of God. That includes applying God’s Word to current issues, even when they overlap with political debates. While endorsing a candidate is legally possible, it is also complicated. All candidates are flawed. Churches should be known first and foremost for upholding God’s truth—not for aligning with political figures.
Let this moment remind us: our hope is not in a party or policy but in Christ. The church must speak boldly, clearly, and faithfully to a world in need of truth.
We are members of Alliance Definding Freedom, and they have other news to share on their website: adflegal.org.
From the Parish Nurse…
Notes from the Parish Nurse
With the unusually frequent rains and flooding this year, we might expect an increase in vector-borne pests that carry a variety of diseases. We have recently experienced high humidity and heat followed by light to moderate rain. These are factors that contribute to the resurgence of mosquito populations, specially in the wooded and grassy environments. I encourage you to be diligent in eliminating mosquito breeding sites.
Mosquito-borne diseases are those spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Diseases that are spread to people by mosquitoes include Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria. Some mosquitoes lay eggs in or near standing water. You can decrease the mosquito breeding sites by:
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removing, turning over, covering, or storing equipment
removing, turning over, covering, or storing equipment •removing debris from ditches
removing debris from ditches •filling in ruts and other areas that collect standing water
filling in ruts and other areas that collect standing water •removing tires, buckets, bottles, and barrels that collect water
removing tires, buckets, bottles, and barrels that collect water •placing drain holes in containers that collect water and cannot be discarded.
placing drain holes in containers that collect water and cannot be discarded. You will want to keep mosquitoes and other airborne vectors outside by ensuring that doors and windows have screens and are kept closed when possible. You can safely use EPA-registered repellants with one of these active ingredients: DEET, picaridin (known as KBR3023 and icaridin outside the US), IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-methane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-born virus that we encounter in the United States. It may not cause any symptoms, or it can make a person feel feverish and experience a host of other symptoms such as extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, imbalance, etc. There is no cure for West Nile virus so prevention from mosquito bites is the best course of action. The Zika virus is more commonly seen in the tropical climates, such as the Caribbean Islands. The Zika virus is spread by the Aedes mosquitoes infected with the virus, and they usually bite during the daylight hours. Travelers, beware! Pregnant women should NOT travel to an area with active Zika virus transmission because infection during pregnancy would cause certain birth defects.
For more information on mosquito and other vector-borne diseases and health risks, you are invited to visit www.cdc.gov.
Janet Wertzberger, RN
Parish Nurse
HEALTH CHECK: The Parish Nurse will be available after the service on September 14th to check blood pressures and address any health-related concerns. This is a free service and available for anyone.
In This Month's
St. John Witness
SEPTEMBER WITNESS
Miscellaneous News
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