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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.

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September 28
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

8:00 am – Morning Worship
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship
– Book Rummage Sale
2:00 pm – Blessing of the Animals

October 5
World Communion Sunday

8:00 am – Morning Worship
9:00 am – LOFTy Potluck Breakfast
– Praying Hands Stitchers
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship

eHerald

Herald pdf

Famine is now at unprecedented levels in Gaza. Help us support World Central Kitchen as they seek to scale up production to one million hot meals a day. The church will match the first $1,000 contributed.

Click here to make a tax-free gift online now. 

Or mail a check to:

St. John’s UCC, 500 W. Main Street, Lansdale, PA 19446

Donate to Gaza

September 14
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

8:00 am – Morning Worship
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship
– BOOK RUMMAGE SALE

September 21
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

8:00 am – Morning Worship
10:15 am – Morning Worship
10:45 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship
3:00 pm – Rev. Dr. Linda’s Installation

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.

Stories from St. John’s Celebration Sunday!

photo: Rev. Sue Bertolette on the steps, Celebration Sunday 1998. 

On September 7th we will observe ‘Celebration Sunday’. This is traditionally the day we return to our full calendar of activities after summer break and vacations. Did you know this tradition goes back over 100 years at St. John’s?

August 31
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

9:30 am – Sunday Morning Worship
9:45 am – Connect3
10:30 am – Fellowship

September 7
Water & Celebration Sunday

9:00 am – Praying Hands Stitchers
10:15 am – Sunday Morning Worship
10:30 am – Connect3
11:30 am – Fellowship

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.

Summertime is St. John’s VBS Time!

by John Hendricks, St. John’s Archivist

image: photocopy of a July 6, 1951 newspaper photograph captioned “The 1951 Vacation bible School at St. John’s Reformed Church, Lansdale, held its final session this morning, and the children are shown as they leave the church on their way to a picnic.”

Vacation Bible School (VBS) has a long history at St. John’s. In fact, we celebrated our 100th VBS during Fellowship on August 6, 2023! In looking through the St. John’s archives, we learned some interesting facts about St. John’s VBS history.

“For we are God’s handiwork,

created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”

Ephesians 2:10.

What an honor to witness the handiwork and good works happening at St. John’s! In September, we begin our 8:00 am worship service. Over the course of the month, we will be blessing everything from water (Sept. 7), to backpacks, students, and educators (Sept. 14), to canines, cats, and creepy-crawlies! (Blessings of the Animals at 2 pm on Sept. 28). On Tuesday, Sept. 9, we’re flinging open the doors to share the music and message of Bobby Jo Valentine with the community on Sept. 9 as a prelude to our 10th Anniversary of being an Open and Affirming community.

We have created a corner of the sanctuary for our “soft worship space” where both kids and adults can engage their bodies in ways that allow them to be more present in worship. Our Boards and committees and volunteers and staff are doing what they do best, and are doing it well.

On Sunday, September 21 at 3:00 pm, we will be holding an “installation.” An installation takes place after a church has called a settled pastor. After five months, I am starting to feel a little more “settled” and our North Penn Association and the Penn Southeast Conference of the UCC have said it is time for me to be installed at St. John’s.

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