Author: Secretary 2

July 2025

St. John’s Lutheran Church

Volume 67 Issue 9

From Pastor’s Pen:

In this Issue:
Pastor’s Letter	1
Deaconess’ Desk	2
Serving the Lord this Month	3
Church News	5-12
Calendar	13

Dear Family in Christ,
This month our nation celebrates our independence and freedom from tyranny. Our founding fathers did not take these blessings for granted. They knew that freedoms could be abused so the Declaration of Independence concludes: "And for the support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." They understood that national independence can only be maintained by a healthy dependence upon God and that freedom is fulfilled in service to others. They arrived at this understanding through their Bible knowledge.
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and set free to be the people of God. We no longer depend on the law's tyranny nor are we any longer bound by the curse of sin, death and the devil. We are not, however, set free to do whatever we want with our lives. We are set free to be the people that God had always intended us to be. The people who have been, "...created in Christ Jesus to do the good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10)
Liberty, whether national or spiritual, does not give people a license to do whatever they want. Rather, it frees us to serve God and others in love. Luther presents this paradox of the Christian life in this way: "A Christian is free, Lord over all things and subject to no one. A Christian is subservient, a slave of all things and subject to everyone." Our freedom is not independence from God nor authorization to sin boldly. Our freedom in Christ is the freedom to experience and exercise love.
I know that I have shared this before, but I want to do so again to help illustrate the nature of our Christian freedom: One day, I went to my next-door neighbor’s house to see if he could come out to play. I remind you that Terry was a faithful Christian and I was a heathen who had a habit of being a bad influence on him. Still, his father told him that he could go. As he was leaving, though, his father told him, “You can go, but remember what I’ve taught you and don’t do anything to disappoint me.” Well, it did not take long for my bad influence to kick in. I challenged him to join me in doing something that we both knew was wrong. It really did not take him long to tell me, “No, I don’t think so. I am afraid of what would happen if my dad found out!” My response was, “Oh, are you afraid of what he will do to you?” His answer was, “No, I am afraid of what it would do to him. I love my dad and never want to do anything to hurt him.”
Like my neighbor, we are now motivated not by fear but by Spirit-worked love for our Heavenly Father who first loved us. We have been called to be free in Christ, not to use our freedom to indulge our sinful nature, but to serve and honor the Lord. You, my dear friends in Christ, have all been called to be free. The question is: What have you done with that freedom? Freedom is like the inheritance of a fortune. It can be a great blessing if used rightly, or a great curse if abused,
This I know from personal experience: Using your freedom to indulge yourself, will only make you a slave to desire, and leave you feeling ever empty and unfulfilled. Occupying your life with acts of loving service to God and others, however, is certain to bring you true freedom and inexpressible joy. Test it out for yourself.
Free In Christ,

The Informer

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Deaconess’ Desk

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The last year has absolutely flown by and I am not sure where the time has gone! At the outset of my internship, I was unsure of what my time here would be like. I didn’t know what responsibilities I would have, I didn’t know what relationships I would form, and to be completely honest, I didn’t know how well living on my own for the first time would go. Thankfully, the Lord was looking out for me as He does for us all every day and I was blessed abundantly over my time here.
There have been challenges and great joys but I am so thankful to each and every one of you who supported me in my duties here at St. John’s or in my life at large. I am not the best at saying goodbyes but all good things come to an end or at least all good things on this side of eternity.
I will miss you all dearly and will take everything I experienced here with me on the road ahead. My prayers are with you and St. John’s and I wish you all the best in the years to come.
Blessings to you all in Christ,
Deaconess

Food Pantry
The food pantry had an exciting month of June...we set a new weeks record in serving 90 families on June 17th!!! The line was long and the temps were high (very high) but we made it through! We also were the recipients of a fundraiser held by the Quad Cities Rotary Club through the Rock Island Hy-Vee. Our food pantry was chosen to receive 2000 pounds of pantry items that were purchased and donated by shoppers over the weekend of June 7th and 8th! We are so blessed with the physical and financial support of our congregation and our community as we give to those in need. Thank you everyone!
Ladies Luncheon
The next ladies luncheon will be Thursday, July 17th at 11:30am. All the ladies of St. John’s are invited to join us at The Deerfield Restaurant in Silvis.
Activities Room News
Do you need a new puzzle to work on in these hot days? Head down to the Activities Room to pick out a new puzzle. Do you have a puzzle you don’t want to put together for the 4th time? Share it with others by dropping it off on the shelves. Please make sure all of the pieces are in the box before donating. Sort your donations by the number of pieces the puzzle has.

July 2025

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Serving the Lord This Month:

Ushers
Sat, July 5: Greg Burke, Todd Miller, Rick Newlon, & Larry Ripka
Sun, July 6: Esther Cashion, Derek & Joel Duffy, Clinton & Jackson Merritt
Sat, July 12: Greg Burke, Todd Miller, Rick Newlon, & Larry Ripka
Sun, July 13: Rod Hopkins
Sat, July 19: Greg Burke, Todd Miller, Rick Newlon, & Larry Ripka
Sun, July 20: Esther Cashion, Derek & Joel Duffy, Clinton & Jackson Merritt
Sat, July 26: Greg Burke, Todd Miller, Rick Newlon, & Larry Ripka
Sun, July 27: OPEN

Greeters
Sat, July 5: Chuck Brokaw
Sun, July 6:
Sat, July 12: Chuck Brokaw
Sun, July 13:
Sat, July 19: Chuck Brokaw
Sun, July 20:
Sat, July 26: Chuck Brokaw
Sun, July 27:

Acolytes
Sun, July 6: Sloane Churchill
Sun, July 13: Briella Churchill
Sun, July 20: Joel Duffy
Sun, July 27: John Kjera

Altar Guild
Diana Lackey and Rebecca Hinman
Communion Assistants
Sun, July 6: Jim Homann and Jonathan Schmidt
Sun. July 20: Brian Kern and Ralph Grotelueschen

Eternal Candle
July 6: Evan & Dawn Antolik, in celebration of Collin’s birthday
July 13: Mary Whipple, in celebration of her birthday
July 20: OPEN
July 27: Larry & Sharon Ripka

Flowers
July 6: Brian & Christine Engebrecht, in memory of their dads
July 13: George & Marlene Fellows, in celebration of their anniversary
July 20: Val McDonald, in memory of Tayler
July 27: Chuck & Bev Brokaw, in celebration of their anniversary

The Informer

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Church News

Birthdays

July 1: Peggy Murphy
July 2: James Sharp & Larry Sims
July 4: Lois Kelly
July 5: Aliza Murphy & Rose Sullivan
July 7: Cori Rossmiller
July 9: Collin Antolik, Nathan Duffy, & Megan Hess
July 10: Paige Beale
July 12: Nancy Gosa
July 13: Michael Dosch, Ron Erickson, Kevin McAnally, Brayden Medinger, Jackson Weathers & Mary Whipple
July 14: Sue Heller, Henry Schmidt, & Ron Whipple
July 16: Amanda McMillin & Noah Ryan
July 17: Jane Hipple
July 19: Mike Murphy
July 21: Lauren Belzer, Greg Burke, Ann Cobb, Darlene Dopson, Sharon Durling, & Scott Mattly
July 22: Steve Braddy, Lee Copeland, Amanda Flaugh
July 23: Nick Johanson & Keith Verschoore
July 24: Perry Aukee, Larry Hipple, & Grace Schmidt
July 25: Ann Bowman, Cody Rossmiller & David VanSeveren
July 26: Troy McDonald
July 27: Sloane Churchill
July28: Nancy Smart
July29: Greg Hart, Kaitlyn Israel & Donna Moews
July 30: Janice Coon & Jacob Rowe
July 31: Jim Moews & Wendy Verschoore

Weekly Attendance

DATE THIS YEAR LAST YEAR
6/1 169 151
6/8 142 128
6/15 143 146
6/22 146 136
Average monthly attendance of St. John’s membership: 31%

Membership Report
Released by Request:
David and Susan Busch
Transferred Out:
Carl Blaser to Trinity Lutheran in Davenport

July 2025

The Informer

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Church News

LWML - Lutheran Women's Missionary League
is an auxiliary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. All ladies are welcome!
The next meeting will be Thursday, August 15th at 1:00 pm in the Janssen rooms. We will not have a meeting in July. Watch the bulletins for more information!
This month we are high lightening Central Illinois District LWML Mission Grant #2.
LWML CID Mission Grant - #2 – LCMS Disaster Relief - $10,000.
LCMS Disaster Relief works with member congregations to immediately give access, relief, and aid in recovery following a disaster. This grant would replenish the funding available to meet the needs to start and enable this process at disaster time.
How can I help?
Pray that God provides workers to bring relief and aid during a disaster throughout the U.S.
Support this grant by donating to St. John’s LWML. Mite boxes are available on the sign-up table. When filled you can turn into the office or give to one of the LWML officers; who are: Diana Lackey, President; Judy Dugan, Secretary and Margie Schaefer, Treasurer.
Did you know that St. John’s has a Disaster Relief team?
Our disaster relief team began even before there was a formalized LCMS Disaster Response program. In 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, 11 servants from St. John’s traveled to New Orleans to serve for 8 days doing cleanup and supply distribution work. It was after this disaster that the LCMS church body worked to put together and official disaster response program - LERT (Lutheran Early Response Team).
Since the 2005 servant event, St. John’s has hosted two LERT trainings (2014 and 2021) and served as a group in two subsequent disasters. Our LERT served after the 2016 East Moline tornado, and another team served after the 2020 Cedar Rapids derecho. Other than these group efforts, St. John’s has several members who have been able to serve on their own at various other disasters, doing cleanup work and providing care in many other ways.
After the 2020 derecho, we knew we were blessed as the damage in our community was not as severe as it was in the Cedar Rapids area. We also realized at that time, that we were not adequately prepared if a disaster of that magnitude hit our area. The big question was, “If a tornado ripped through this neighborhood or that neighborhood, do we have any members who live in the path of destruction?” We realized we wouldn’t be able to quickly assess our members’ situations because we had no visual for where everyone lived. Therefore, we created an oversized map of the Quad Cities to help us visualize where everyone lived. Each member has a flag with their name on it, pinned on the street where they live. Since creating this map, we have had two small tornados come through the Quad Cities. Utilizing the news sources, we knew the path of the tornadoes and were able to call all the members in those neighborhoods. Thankfully, no damage was reported in either of these tornadoes.
If you are interested in being trained to become a LERT member, there are always training sessions happening in the Central Illinois District (CID). You can visit https://www.lcms-lert.org/agency/ and click on Central Illinois or Iowa East to view any upcoming trainings and service opportunities. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Carrie Homann or the CID Disaster Response Coordinator, Stephen Born, bornstephen@yahoo.com.

The Informer

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Notes from the Balcony

The summer heat has settled upon us. The sun is hot, the air is hot, the ground is hot, the roads are hot, the wind is hot, the day is hot, the night is hot. What a blessing to have air conditioning so available. We were talking with friends about summer trips when we were young in cars with no AC. My mother’s parents lived in southern California and our every other year summer car trips from Wisconsin through the hot desert states with the car windows rolled all the way down were no joke.
We all have memories of hot summer experiences. With those in mind, let’s take a moment to enjoy our AC and play a little matching game, reading a little bit about three favorite hymns from our congregation and trying to match the descriptions with the following hymns. The answers are on page 8 of the Informer:
Choices:
Beautiful Savior (LSB 537)
Thy Strong Word (LSB 578)
Great is Thy Faithfulness (LSB 809)
A Methodist minister named Thomas Obadiah Chisholm wrote this hymn in 1923. Chisholm was born in a Kentucky log cabin in 1866. He spent his early years on a farm and teaching in schools. In addition to writing more than 1,200 hymn texts and serving as a minister, he held jobs as a newspaper editor and an insurance agent. This hymn is the unofficial school hymn of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Chisholm’s hymn writing aimed to use Scripture as much as possible. “Having been led, for a part of my life,” he states, “through some difficult paths, I have sought to gather from such experiences material out of which to write hymns of comfort and cheer for those similarly circumstanced.” The hymn text focuses on a subject of several Psalms including Psalm 119:90, “Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.”
The writer of this hymn, Martin Franzmann, was born one of nine children to a Lutheran minister in Lake City, Minnesota in 1907 and died in Cambridge, England in 1976. He was on the faculty of the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and held other positions and offices in the LCMS before becoming tutor at Westfield House in Cambridge in 1969. Franzmann was challenged to pen a hymn to the tune “Ebenezer” by a seminary neighbor and colleague, Walter Buszin, who discovered it while working on another project. Written as a commencement hymn based on the seminary’s motto “Light from above,” it was sung at commencement exercises from 1955 to 1997. The seminary’s motto was taken from Matthew 4:16, “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (ESV)
Neither the writer of the text nor composer of the tune of this German hymn is known. The first known printed source was a Catholic hymnal in the mid-1600s. The hymn was rediscovered in the 1800’s when a pair of German professors set out to collect folk songs in Silesia, which is now primarily in Poland. Also known as the “Crusader’s Hymn,” some sources cite it as the hymn German crusaders sang as they marched toward the Holy Land. The tune also came to be known as “St. Elizabeth” after Franz List utilized it in his oratorio, The Legend of St. Elizabeth (1862). He employed the melody to accompany Elizabeth’s husband marching off on a crusade. Joseph A. Seiss, a Lutheran pastor in Philadelphia, translated this hymn into English for an 1873 Sunday-school hymn book. Seiss linked the hymn to a few texts including Psalm 45:2, “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God hath blessed Thee forever.” (KJV)
May God bless your July with its patriotic celebrations and other summer activities. Enjoy not bundling up in coats, boots, and gloves and having dry pavement to drive and walk on while we have it. The cold will find its way to our part of the world soon enough.
Your sister in Christ,
Christine Engebrecht

The Informer

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Voters Meeting Minutes

St. John’s Lutheran Church
Voters Meeting Minutes
June 15, 2025
1. The meeting was called to order at 10:30 a.m. by president, Brian Engebrecht. Pastor Umbarger opened with a reading from Psalm 56 and prayer.
2. President Engebrecht asked if there was anyone that wanted to be a voting member. There was not.
3. President Engebrecht asked if there was a motion to accept the minutes as printed in the Informer. Dawn Antolik made the motion to accept the minutes as printed in the Informer. Flo Moore seconded. Motion passed.
4. Executive Board – Brian Engebrecht
Brian reported for the Call Committee that Nomination Forms for a pastor were available. He also handed out a printout of the final count on the Pastoral Expectation Survey we took earlier in the year.
5. Treasurer, Norm Antolik
Norm handed out an update report and asked if any questions. No questions. He said May was a good month due to RMDs received.
6. Youth and Family Board – Kris McAnally
Kris reported that VBS was last week and we had 9 students. Thanks to Deaconess and all the volunteers for their hard work. She encouraged everyone to come to the Deaconess Farewell Dinner on June 29th. The Fall Sunday School rally is scheduled for August 24th, details still need to be worked out.
7. Human Care – No representative
From Parish Planning Report they will be holding a CPR class sometime in the near future. The blood drive has been set for October 11th.
8. Outreach Ministry – Charlie Britton
Charlie reminded us to personally contact those who have not been to church. Personal contact is much more effective.
9. Board of Elders – Kevin McAnally for Jim Homann
He reported that they are working on duties for the Vacancy Pastor. They will work very hard to keep Saturday night services. The Board is also working on a list of people who haven’t attended church in the last seven years and those who no longer live in the area. If we have not received a reply from the letters, they will be presented for release at the Septembers Voter’s Meeting
10. Trustees - Evan Antolik
Evan said no date has been set for the parking lot. They are in the process of getting bids for repairing or replacing the air conditioner in the sanctuary/office which is 6 years old.
11. Pastor Umbarger handed out a Statistical Report. Discussed.
12. Brian Engebrecht and Evan Antolik reported on the Courtyard. Evan reported the courtyard has been cleared out. Brian said they had a bid from Meyer’s Landscaping as a starting point. Several things still need to be worked out such as: ideas for use of courtyard, low maintenance, accessibility, and funding. It is hoped that we will be able to draw on the talent of the congregation to cut costs. Pastor Umbarger made a motion that the Executive Board creates an ad hoc committee for the courtyard renovation to develop a plan and proposed timeline. Evan Antolik seconded it. Motion passed.
13. Margie Schaefer made a motion to adjourn. Motion was seconded Ralph Grotelueschen. Motion passed.
14. The meeting was closed with the Lord’s Prayer.
We very much appreciate all members who attended the Voter’s meeting.
Respectively submitted by Diana Lackey,
Date: June 15, 2025

July 2025

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Voter’s Meeting Minutes Continued

The Informer

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Pastor’s Statistical Report for June Voters’ Meeting

July 2025

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Results of Pastoral Expectations Survey from the Call Committee

The Informer

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From the CID

LCMS Stewardship Ministry – lcms.org/stewardship Newsletter Article – July 2025
Faithfulness: The Stewardship Standard
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).
What is the standard to which a steward is held? Ask the average person, and they might talk about percentages, tithes, and commitments. Too often, the default mode of measuring stewards is by how much and how frequently they give. This is not helpful. Measuring activity without any connection to baptismal identity is a recipe for disaster. It can either breed a sense of superiority and self-righteousness or create a culture of scarcity and despair. Neither outcome is godly or helpful.
This is not to say that stewardship should be regarded as "no big deal." St. Paul, within his discussion of the ministry to which he has been called, sets the standard of accountability for the steward: faithfulness. This removes any sense of superiority or self-righteousness and dispels scarcity and despair. When a steward manages what the Lord has entrusted to them — resources and all aspects of life — for God's purposes, the focus is not on how much or how frequently they give.
This standard reflects the stewardship portrayed in the Gospels where Jesus entrusts varying amounts, each according to ability. The commended stewards were recognized for their faithfulness in their vocation, not the amounts they managed. Conversely, the condemned stewards were not castigated for their lack of performance but for their lack of faithfulness.
What does this mean for the steward in the pew? The Lord has entrusted you with various things. Luther captures them in his explanation of the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed and the Fourth Petition of the Lord's Prayer. The familiar couplets of food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, animals and all possessions are the Lord’s, and He has entrusted them to you for His purpose. This trust brings an active realization of thanksgiving.
This active thanksgiving is our stewardship. It can be distilled into two questions that the steward regularly needs to answer:
1. How has God blessed me?
2. How is He calling me to respond?
The first question is quite simple to answer: if the Lord has entrusted something to you, it is a blessing. This blessing is for God's glory and the benefit of your neighbor. The second question is more challenging to measure; it is not about percentages and charts. Instead, it is about a life of
thanksgiving that flows from the mercies of God revealed in Jesus Christ. This thanksgiving starts at and flows from the cross and the empty tomb. Our stewardship of the Gospel drives our stewardship of everything else.
The standard, then, is faithfulness. Faithfulness flows from eyes focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. It does not come from our efforts but through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, through Word and Sacrament. It begins at the altar in the Divine Service but extends into the world — from hearth and home to workplace and classroom, from commerce to leisure. The mercy of God, freely given in Jesus, leads us to demonstrate a faithfulness that reveals to others the same mercy we have received in Jesus.
This faithfulness cannot be measured empirically. It is simply allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through us for the glory of God and the benefit of our neighbor. Weekly. Daily. Faithfully.
Ordination and Installation into the Office of Holy Ministry
Immanuel Lutheran Church of Charleston, IL is excited to welcome Pastor-Elect, Samuel Smith. Originally from Broadlands, IL, Pastor-Elect Smith graduated from Concordia University, Nebraska, in 2020. From there, he went on to seminary at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne-CTSFW. He was called to be the pastor at Immanuel on April 29, 2025. His Ordination and Installation Service is being held on July 6th at 3:00pm at Immanuel Lutheran Church with a reception to follow at 5:00pm. Those who would like to attend may RSVP by calling the church at 217-345-3008
The Camp CILCA Homecoming is Saturday, August 2 in the afternoon and evening. There will be a volleyball tournament and pickup softball game, swimming, guided hikes, live and silent auctions, vendor fair, pulled pork meal from 4-6pm for $15, outdoor worship, evening concert featuring Eshelon, and campfire sing-a-long and s'mores. Help CILCA celebrate 75 years of outdoor ministry! (cilca.org/homecoming)
Dollars for Missions
The new (and current!) project is $10,000 to replace insulation in the chancel ceiling at Wittenberg Lutheran Center, Normal. Dating from 1980, the fiberglass batt insulation above Wittenberg’s chancel has fallen from its intended place, that is, immediately under the roof. The area needing replacement measures some 775 sq.ft. This job will not be easy. The replacement area is not readily accessible, due to a non-structural ceiling right above the altar and organ in the chancel. The task of replacing this insulation will require ingenuity and creativity. In short, the total price will end up being much greater than the relatively minor costs for materials. Frankly was such a good month that the District office is scrambling to keep up with things. A new DFM current project page on the ceiling project for Normal is in process for the CID website. Look for it soon. Thank you very much for your support of CID missions through A Dollar for Missions!

July 2025

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From the CID

St. John’s Lutheran Church

1450-30th Avenue
East Moline, IL 61244

Tel: 309-792-0755
Fax: 309-792-0776
E-mail: office@stjohnsem.org

We’re On the Web!!
www.stjohnsem.org

Walking in the Light of Christ!

Office Hours:
Monday – Thursday
8:30 am– 12 noon

Worship Schedule:
Saturday worship– 5:00pm
Sunday worship- 9:00am
10:15am– Sunday School
& Bible Study

Inside our Sanctuary.