News

November 23

Fear-Holding Ornaments – Intergenerational for all ages

November 30

Luminarias – Intergenerational for all ages

December 7

Placing Ourselves in the Manger Scene – Intergenerational for all ages

December 14

Christmas Show and Tell

December 21

Re-Membering Christmas – Singing Our Way Through

No LOFT December 28

A meeting will be held after each service this Sunday, November 23, to review the 2026 budget.

8:00 am attendees: Meet in the library following the service.

10:15 am attendees: Meet in the Assembly Hall following the service.

Please note that the congregational vote for the 2026 budget will be held on Sunday, December 7. We appreciate your participation!

Welcome to Inside the Red Doors – Stories from the St. John’s Archives!

As we approach St. John’s 150th anniversary in 2026, we are digging deep into the church archives to connect with the stories that shaped us. John Hendricks, our Photographer and Archivist, has worked faithfully for 15 years to maintain and share important pieces of our history. Leaning on his extensive knowledge and storytelling ability, we are excited to share these artifacts and anecdotes as a way to honor the past and imagine what the next 150 years could bring.

A Lansdale Thanksgiving Night Tradition – St John’s Sunday School Plays!

by John Hendricks, St. John’s Archivist

13 years before St. John’s founding, in 1963, President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, although an autumn day set aside for thanksgiving was observed since the 17th century in many places to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Holding a big family feast serving turkey on that day was also a tradition. ‘The Reporter’ of Nov. 14, 1872, said, “Thanksgiving Day is coming around again with its family gatherings, roast turkey and general hymns of praise to our bountiful Creator, who has blessed our land with fruitfulness and peace.” The first known Thanksgiving worship service at St. John’s was in 1882. And soon, the hottest ticket in Lansdale on Thanksgiving evening for 22 years would be from productions by the St. John’s Sunday School!

Written by Rev. Tom Adil

This holiday is a yearly reminder (November 1 and in church, the 1^st Sunday in November) of our connectedness as Christians to the church. Perhaps you were taught to think of saints as figures in the church’s stained-glass windows. But the Bible teaches something beyond this. Who is a saint? You are. That is if you’re a follower of Jesus. The Church calls a “saint” those who trust God-in-Christ for salvation.

The origin of All Saints’ Day can be traced back to the early Christian Church when it was established as a day to remember and celebrate the martyrs and other saints who had died for their faith. Over time, the scope of the holiday expanded to include martyrs and all faithful Christians who had lived pious and virtuous lives. It is a day to recognize the saints’ collective witness and express gratitude for their example.

Over time, the holiday’s focus expanded beyond just martyrs to include all Christian saints—those who were recognized for their exceptional holiness and devotion to God. This shift recognized that not all saints were martyrs, so a broader commemoration was needed.

The Christian festival of All Saints Day comes from a conviction that there is a spiritual connection between those in Heaven and on Earth. While traditions across the globe vary for All Saints Day, the common theme is a celebration with family and remembrance of those who have passed.

If you have a loved one who passed beween October 2024 and October 2025, and you would like them included in our All Saints List, please contact the office by Wednesday, October 29, 2025 with their name and relation to you.

The All Saints List is read during All Saints Sunday morning service, and featured in the bulletin. The full list will be available in next month’s Enlightener.

Preparing St. John’s 2026 Budget

The fall season is upon us, and with it comes the time to prepare St. John’s budget for 2026 — the Finance Committee’s largest responsibility of the year. Beginning in October, the committee will meet several times to review this year’s spending patterns and make adjustments for the year ahead.

As always, we remind ourselves that the budget is a plan, not a promise. We do our best to anticipate income and expenses while remaining flexible to changes that may arise. Some of the key questions we consider include:

• How accurate was our 2025 budget compared to actual spending? Do adjustments need to be made? Are there opportunities to reduce expenses?
• Have any Boards updated their plans or projects that would affect expenses?
• Are there new initiatives that need funding, such as our upcoming 150-year celebration?
• Are there any ongoing initiatives that are no longer in scope?
• What are the Conference recommendations for pastor salaries, and can we meet them?
• What changes in benefit costs must be included?
• How has giving to current expenses compared with expectations? Are we seeing a shift toward Capital or Benevolence giving? What is a reasonable goal for 2026 giving?
• How have our investments performed, and what percentage drawdown from the 3Q balance feels appropriate?

In recent years, budgeting has been especially challenging as our staff has continued to change.

Read The Full Enlightener

October 26
Open & Affirming Anniversary

8 am – Morning Worship
9 am – Living Our Faith Together
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship

November 5
All Saints Sunday

8 am – Morning Worship
9 am – Praying Hands Stitchers
– Living Our Faith Together
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship
4:00 pm – The Artist Series at St. John’s Presents
Philadelphia Brass

eHerald

Herald pdf

October 12
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

8 am – Morning Worship
9 am – Living Our Faith Together
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship
– Youth Group
– Anniversary Committee

October 19
Congregational Dinner

8 am – Morning Worship
9 am – Living Our Faith Together
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
12:00 pm – Congregational Spaghetti Dinner

eHerald

Herald pdf

Welcome to Inside the Red Doors – Stories from the St. John’s Archives!

As we approach St. John’s 150th anniversary in 2026, we are digging deep into the church archives to connect with the stories that shaped us. John Hendricks, our Photographer and Archivist, has worked faithfully for 15 years to maintain and share important pieces of our history. Leaning on his extensive knowledge and storytelling ability, we are excited to share these artifacts and anecdotes as a way to honor the past and imagine what the next 150 years could bring.

Raise the Song of Harvest Home!

by John Hendricks, St. John’s Archivist

If someone asked what ‘harvest home’ means, you’d probably think of the familiar Thanksgiving hymn (NCH #422) with the opening lines, “Come, O thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home”. Some of our long-time members will remember that ‘harvest home’ was once a special day in the church year!

“Come to me all who are weary
and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11: 28-30

Care for the Caregiver, taught by Rev. Tom Adil, MDiv, LPC, Bridge Support Pastor

Welcome to a journey of hope, hardship and the heart’s resilient capacity to get through it all with love. This class offers an in-depth look at the many complex issues that being a caregiver brings.  The class will develop provides tips, strategies and offer a biblical rationale for creating a sustainable path for those caring for family members or others needing help with daily living.

We will review the needs of those (especially) older adults who require care because of a serious health condition or disability. Because one third of Americans will have a disability at some point over the span of their life, the class also applies to other situations in which caregiving is needed.

More about The LOFT

Living Our Faith Together (The LOFT) –
Opportunities to Share and Grow

What does it mean to be a person of faith in this time? Where do we go with our questions, our doubts, our hunches, our wisdom, and our longings? How can we try on new ideas and new practices to grow our Christian faith and deepen our capacity to live in a moment such as this? What traditions can we lean on to become more grounded and resilient and faithful? Are there places where we can receive support while supporting others?

Living Our Faith Together (aka The LOFT) is a new space to live into the questions and deepen our spiritual practices. It builds on the St. John’s tradition of Adult Sunday School and Adult Bible Study, and offers opportunities for adult faith formation and occasional intergenerational engagement.

Beginning in October, at 9:00 on Sunday mornings (between the early and late services), we will gather each week to explore and reflect on a wide range of topics connected to our faith. This is a space where theological reflection and personal storytelling enrich each other, and where expanding religious experience can also mean expanding our understanding of the human spirit and the Christian tradition which grounds us. There will be other opportunities beyond 9:00 Sunday mornings as well.

Read the Full Enlightener