Faith Garden

Let’s get growing! This is the third season for St. John’s Faith Garden in Pastor Bob’s backyard. The goal is to produce fresh, nutritious vegetables for low-income hungry families who are clients of DMARC’s food pantries. Rotating teams of volunteer gardeners take care of the garden for a week, followed by three weeks off. Will you help this season? Garden novices through master gardeners are welcome. If you’d like to help, please contact Diana Sickles at dsickles4@gmail.com, or Pastor Bob. If helping in St. John’s Faith Garden doesn’t work for you, please consider planting extra vegetables in your own garden to donate to the DMARC food pantries. Visit MovetheFood.org and click on “Food Pantry Information” to find a pantry near you.

Art Auction

Bidding continues through Sunday, May 5. Please visit the gallery in Weertz and place your bids on some amazing art! All art has been donated, and all proceeds benefit the Arts at St. John’s.

Address Changes

Members who vacation for extended periods are asked to please notify our office so we may direct mail to your current address. We receive many returned mail items. It costs additional postage and increases the time for the item(s) to reach you. Please contact Katie at 243-7691 and she can note your departure and return dates so you won’t miss a thing!

The Women of the ELCA...

► . . . thank you to all who contributed to Children and Families of Iowa during April. The donations are greatly appreciated! For May and June the outreach project is “Backpack Buddies.” This program provides a sack of child-friendly, easy to prepare foods to low-income children on weekends when they do not have access to the federal free and reduced-price meal program. The congregation is again invited to participate.  Items needed are: Single-serve fruit cups in light syrup or water and small boxes of raisins. As usual, the items can be placed in the drop boxes, one near the church office and the other upstairs near the Fair Trade coffee.

►  Circle meetings for the Month of May: Sarah Group on May 1, at 12:05 pm in the Sanctuary; Lois Group at 12:30 pm on May 2 in Neumann.

Art Auction Fundraiser

Spring Showcase Concert

Small Groups

►  Young(er) Adult Discussion Group meets TODAY at 4:30 pm at the home of Kevin & Maria Brownell. Contact Megan Clausen at meganc@stjohnsdsm.org for more details.  

►  Zumba Classes will continue with the 8-week session on Monday, Apr. 29, held in the 3rd floor multi-purpose room, 5:00 – 5:45 pm. All are welcome—no zumba experience necessary. There is no charge for this class so invite friends.  

►  Mah Jongg continues to meet on Monday evenings at 6:30 pm in Neumann. If you plan to attend, please contact Darla at darlastiles@stjohnsdsm.org so we have the right number for tables.

►  Gardening Tours begin in May. Please join SJLC’s gardening group for a tour at Kaldenburg PBS Landscaping (5555 N.W. Beaver Dr) on Wednesday, May 8, at 6:00 pm. Find out about various new plants as well as tried and true plants for your garden. You may pick up the summer gardening schedule at the hospitality center in the Fireside Lounge.

WIRED (Women Interested in Renewal, Education and Discovery)

► WIRED Scavenger Hunt is Sunday, April 28! Those of you who signed up, please meet in Neumann following the 10:00 a.m. service (around 11:15). There you will be given your team assignments and directions.

► WIRED Yoga classes continue Thursday, May 2, 5:45 to 6:45 pm in the Fireside Lounge. Cost is $10/class or $60 for the 7 classes. This is a quiet, relaxing exercise. To sign up or with questions, contact Corinne Lambert at callingwisdom1@hotmail.com.

Adult Forum - Sundays at 8:45

Ken Jones, Professor of Religion at Grand View University will be the presenter April 28 and next Sunday May 5. Please join us in Room 8 @ 8:45 am.

Sunday School

All kids are invited to Sunday School at 8:45. Age 3 years meet in Room 5, Preschool—Room 6, Kindergarten—Room 7. First through sixth grade will start in the chapel and then move to their classrooms on 2nd Floor.

Plant Sale Reminder

Don’t forget to pick up your plant sale orders on Saturday, May 4th from 9-11am in the north parking lot at St. John’s. If you forgot to place your order this year, there are a few extra plants that will be available for purchase Saturday morning. If you have questions email Megan Clausen meganc@stjohnsdsm.org.

And as an added bonus, we are dividing the courtyard hostas this spring! Come to church Saturday morning, May 4, between 8:30 and 11:00 am and select a hosta from which you want a cutting. We have people to dig and divide. Bring a grocery bag or bucket to carry the cutting home. All are $5. It’s first come, first served so if you want a cutting from a particular plant, plan to arrive early. 

Young(er) Adult Group

The newly formed young(er) adult group will meet at Maria and Kevin Brownell’s home on Sunday, Apr. 28th from 4:30-6:30pm. Please bring a side dish to share for dinner. If you have any questions or would like directions to the Brownell’s please contact Megan Clausen (meganc@stjohnsdsm.org). 

Courtyard Hosta Sale

We will be dividing the hostas in the courtyard this spring! Come to church Saturday morning, May 4, between 8:30 and 11:00 am and select a hosta from which you want a cutting. We have people to dig and divide. Bring a grocery bag or bucket to carry the cutting home. All are $5. It’s first come, first served so if you want a cutting from a particular plant, plan to arrive early.