Sunday Morning Services
8:15 am and 10:45 am
8:15 am and 10:45 am
Holy Weeks Schedule
Maundy Thursday Service
April 1st, at 7:30 pm
Good Friday Service
April 2nd, at 1:00 pm
Easter Sunday Services
April 4th, 7:00 am Sunrise Service
10:00 am 2nd Service
Easter Breakfast
Following the Sunrise Service.
People of God!
It's SPRING! The days are getting longer with warming sunshine! The temperature is climbing! Early flowers are starting to bloom. Trees will start to leaf! We gardeners are starting to plan our vegetable and flower gardens! We are so very blessed to live here in Magnificent West Michigan!And we are about to celebrate EASTER -- the glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!! Jesus said: "I AM the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die." Our joyful Easter celebration, with communion, will be on Sunday, April 4th, with services at 7a & 10a and a fellowship breakfast after the first service downstairs in our Fellowship Hall!
It has been GREAT to see more and more people starting to come back to worship in God's House! I believe that as individuals get their COVID vaccinations they are feeling more confident about coming out-and-about.
I invite and encourage you to come to our Easter Worship in person. Have you had your COVID Vaccination? Deb and I have. Come back to your Father's House to worship. You need to be in His House and you need to be in the fellowship of your Church family. We need each other. We are still practicing seating protocols in the Sanctuary with every other row. First service is masked, second service is option. Come back to worship in person. The longer anyone stays away, the more difficult it will be to ever return. We can get too comfortable staying home, worshipping online (if you do that). I hope to see YOU in our Easter Worship!
If you are going to be gone traveling and on vacation over Spring Break and missing Easter worship, I hope you can either tune in to watch our service online or worship at one of our Churches wherever you are. May your vacation be safe, fun, relaxing, and refreshing for you!
THANK YOU! to Brad and Erika VanBergen for their gracious and generous donation of a Ford 15 passenger Van to our Church Ministries! At the time of this writing (still in March) we are planning on taking the Van with our 8th Grade Confirmands and Chaperones on our annual expedition to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky over the weekend of March 26-27-28. It will be GREAT to have everyone in one vehicle with lots of room! I thank you, Brad and Erika, and your church family thanks you too!
CANOE MEN! We are only three months out from our BWCA Expedition leaving on Saturday, June 26th! Badger Reservations are made for our trip across the Big Lake to Manitowoc. Permits are acquired for our Entry Point on Lake 1. Three boats and some packs have been rented. We own the rest of the gear. We will be bunking that Saturday night in Ely at Voyageur North Outfitters. We have our 8th and new Canoe Man -- Tim Ross -- who will be coming with us. Tim is a great guy and is so looking forward to getting out there with us! Let's have another Meeting on Sunday, April 25th, between services, together. Tim can meet all of you Veteran Paddle Men, and you can meet him, if you don't know him already. If you aren't continuing to do so, please bring another $ installment to this meeting. Focus of this meeting will be to plan our Menu, especially as we consider using our new Yeti Backpack Cooler!
On a personal note... Deb and I will be driving down to Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Monday April 26th for Micah's Vicarage Call Service that evening. It's always exciting and a bit nerve wracking to see where you get assigned for your Vicarage year! You have absolutely NO IDEA until they call out your name and location! We trust the Lord will guide Micah and his family to a Church family that will welcome them and love them and a Pastor/Mentor that will continue to teach and guide him. I pray he finds a Vicarage Supervisor like I was blessed to have in that we also became lifelong friends after that.
God is good!
~ Pastor Brooks
| OFFICIAL ACTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Baptisms | 1 | Nolan Lee DuBois (3/7/21) |
| Confirmations | 0 | |
| Weddings | 0 | |
| Funerals | 1 | Merle Bernhardt Sr. (2/03/21) |
New Van!
We have some very exciting news to share with our St. James Congregation... Our Church has been gifted a CHURCH VAN... given to us by Brad and Erika VanBergen. We would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt THANKS and GRATITUDE to the VanBergens for this very generous gift!!The 15 passenger transit van will be put to good use right away, transporting our youth and chaperones to the Creation Museum & Ark Encounter! Woohoo!!
This new ministry tool will be used for mission trips, servant events, youth gatherings, confirmation retreats, … just to name a few. It will be available for all church ministries to use!
In following guidelines put in place by Brotherhood Mutual, our church’s insurance company, we are putting together a Van Usage Procedure so we have rules in place to keep all those who use it safe! Watch the upcoming bulletins and newsletters for these guidelines!
PLACES of the PASSION
During this Lenten season we have followed in the footsteps of Jesus to the City of Jerusalem, Bethany, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, the Courtyard, and Pilate’s judgment hall. We have contemplated what happened at each place our Savior stood along the path of His Passion for our sake. Each service has explored the meaning, history, and spiritual inspiration associated with the location highlighted. We’ve been learning things we may not have known before as we grow to understand the hard road our Lord took to open heaven to us. We will be continuing this journey with Jesus through Holy Week.Palm Sunday ~ 3/28, 8:15 & 10:45 am
Bethphage ~ we go to Bethphage, the place where the ride into Jerusalem on a donkey begins for Jesus. It is here where we discover that Jesus is a humble King who serves as he heads toward the cross.
Maundy Thursday ~ 4/1, 7:30 pm
The Upper Room ~ We climb the stairs to the Upper Room to join the disciples in receiving the body and blood of Christ in bread and wine. We are reminded here that Jesus sets a place at the table for each of us, even though he knows all that we have done. Amazingly, we find that he is willing to give completely of himself to forgive us.
Good Friday ~ 4/2, 1:00 pm
Golgotha ~ We stand at the foot of the cross on Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, where the crucified Christ breathes his last for our sake. His suffering is in plain view, as well as his great love. His death redeems us all.
Easter!! ~ 4/4, 7:00 & 10:00 am
The Garden Tomb ~ We marvel with the women at the garden tomb—now empty—and hear the good news from the angel: “He has risen, just as He said.” All fear is gone because Jesus is alive and all faith is found in His words of comfort and peace.
This month, I want to share with you one of my favorite camp songs/VBS songs. It is called, "He’s Able" - It goes like this...
Together
For He's able, able, able, able,
Able to carry you through!
I love this song for a couple different reasons..
Some things to put on the calendar this month.
In Christ,
Russell Baumann
| Leader | Response |
|---|---|
| He’s Able... | He's able to carry you through, |
| No matter... | No matter what the world may do. |
| Try Jesus... | Try Jesus, for He satisfies. |
| He's waitin',... | He's waitin' just to hear your cries. |
| Trust in Him!.. | Trust in Him in everything you do. |
| For He,... | For He will bear the load for you. |
Together
For He's able, able, able, able,
Able to carry you through!
I love this song for a couple different reasons..
- Youth step into the leadership role truly build confidence because they lead on their own.
- The words are powerful! Just look at them again.
- It reminds us of the promises that Jesus has given us. We know that He can handle our problems, that He hears our cries, and that we can trust Him.
Some things to put on the calendar this month.
- Easter Breakfast April 4th – Come enjoy a free meal!
- Youth Nights April 11th @ 6:00 pm
- Youth Roller Skating April 18th @Jumping Jupiter. 1 pm $5.00/person
- VBS Volunteer Meeting April 25th @ 11:45 am
- Youth Night April 25th @ 6:00 pm
In Christ,
Russell Baumann
GOOD SHEPHERD PRESCHOOL
Now accepting REGISTRATIONS For Fall 2021!Contact the church office or Ellen Grimm at 730-1726.
Jesus is the Foundation of learning here at Good Shepherd Preschool. Please call Ellen to schedule a visit.
| M-W-F Program | 9:00-11:30am | 4-5 yr olds | $140/month |
| T-Th Program | 9:00-11:00am | 3-4 yr olds | $105/month |
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Blessings ~ Ellen Grimm
Shower of Love! for Mrs. Strahl
Help us shower Kathi Strahl with love from her church family. She is Retiring at the end of this school year. She has shared her love with many families in our church and our community - she will certainly be missed. Not only has she been a teacher here at Good Shepherd Preschool for 34 years, but she has also served as a Sunday School Superintendent and Youth Choir Director.Help us show her our love by sending a card with your thoughts. Send a card to:
Kathi Strahl c/o
St. James Lutheran Church
8945 Stebbins
Montague, MI 49437
We will present them at an Open House coming in May. Date and Time will follow. Thanks for taking the time to share your love with her.
Youth Events
April Youth NightsSunday, 4/11 and 4/25, at 6:00 pm in the Youth House!
April Youth Event
Roller Skating on Sunday, 4/18. Meet at church at 1:00 pm
Sunday School News
Happy Easter!!! I Can hardly believe we are nearing the end of Sunday School ☹. It's been a great year despite Covid. The kids have had great fun as well as the teachers. Watching them learn and connect the people in the Bible is a very special gift indeed. Grateful to be a part of it.There will be no Sunday School on Easter, 4/4 & Spring Break, 4/11. Mom's - save the date - May 9th! Jon us downstairs for a Mother's Day celebration with your little ones and our end of year party!
Volunteer Needs
Need 1-2 Youth Night Volunteerson 4/11 & 4/25, at 6pm!VBS Planning Committee
Looking for volunteers to begin planning for VBS 2021. Please contact the church office if you would like to be a part of this amazing ministry! We need 4 - 5 people to help create the vision of VBS and then will need 15 - 20 volunteers to help make this happen. Join us at the meeting on Sunday, 4/25, at 11:45a.Love Family
For the month of April we will continue to deliver a meal to the shuts ins. If you would like to donate money, just add it to your offering with "Love Family" amount. If you would like to donate your time and deliver a meal from a restaurant to a shut in or two; contact Kim @ 730-0735! Thanks!Kathi Strahl's Retirement
Open House CelebrationSaturday, May 15th, from 2-4pm, at the Youth House... Please join us!
2022 Anniversary Committee
The Anniversary Committee is scheduled to meet at 5:30 Monday April 12th. Please note the time change. The meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held at North Grove Brewers to discuss the anniversary German Fest. Our celebration Sundays are scheduled for the 2nd Sunday of each month beginning in May 2022 and we will have guest pastors joining us for those services. We have several sub committees all looking for volunteers. Those committees include, promotional, fund raising, food, music, history, and an anniversary float committee for both the July 4th parade in 2022 and this year's Christmas Parade. We are also looking for volunteers for the German Fest in October, so if you're interested, please join us and help make our celebration a success. A Ballot to select the 2022 Anniversary slogan has been included in this newsletter....please take the time to fill it out and return it to church by Sunday, 4/11!! We appreciate your input!Preschool Teacher Assistant ~ Good Shepherd Preschool
St James Lutheran Church
8495 Stebbins Street
Montague, MI 49437
231-894-8471
Good Shepherd is a Christian preschool providing half day programs Monday-Friday. Operating for over 35 years in a Christian setting affiliated with St James Lutheran Church, we are licensed by the State of Michigan.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assist the primary teacher in the development and organization of daily lessons
- Assist with the delivery of daily instruction and facilitation of rich educational experiences
- Participate in additional events outside of typical school hours; to include open houses, Christmas and year-end programs, fund-raising activities, etc.
- Engage in play with children to build language and social skills
- Pray with children at the beginning and end of each day, as well as at meal times
- Follow all policies and procedures for inside and outside the classroom
- Provide a positive example of what it means to follow Christ
- Engage in continuing education as required by State of Michigan regulations
- Member in good standing of a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
- Preferred: Associates degree or higher in early childhood education or child development
- Required: Minimum of a high school diploma or GED in addition to associated coursework and experience requirements
- Certified or willing to become certified in CPR/First Aid
Alan Mayville ~ Chair, Board of Education
Email: alan.mayville@gmail.com
Deadline to apply: Sunday, April 11, 2021
Online Service Directions!
How to watch our services online step by step: on Facebook Live on Sundays at 8:15 am (and 6:30pm on Wednesdays during Advent)- In the top search bar... Go to https://www.facebook.com/stjamesmontague/
(You do not need to have a Facebook account page to access this) - Close the popup box asking to login to your Facebook account.
- Scroll down through the Facebook page until you come across the most recent videos
- Click on the Live video of the church service.
- Explore the rest of the Facebook page and watch other videos. 😊
How to watch our services online step by step: on St. James Montague Website
- In the top search bar... Go to http://www.stjamesmontague.com/
- The first window will show our updated status for Covid-19 and our daily updated videos from St. James Facebook page.
- Scroll down to see our latest service from Sunday.
- Explore the rest of the page to see any newsletter information, calendar information, or fun extras. 😊
- To view previous services, follow this link
| April Birthdays | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/01 | James TenBrink | 04/16 | Joel O'Connell |
| 04/01 | Pat Ehlke | 04/16 | Lucas Hanson |
| 04/03 | Alyssa Huizenga | 04/16 | Summer Turpin |
| 04/04 | Sue Carpenter | 04/16 | Will Ramthun |
| 04/06 | Kyren Bluhm | 04/18 | Amanda Cooper |
| 04/06 | turtlellen | 04/18 | Pat Lohman |
| 04/07 | Betty Jones | 04/20 | Luke DeRose |
| 04/07 | Dillon Birkofer | 04/20 | Ray Grow |
| 04/07 | Gloria Bernhardt | 04/21 | Ashlyn Lohman |
| 04/08 | Connie Kring | 04/21 | Chris Hasenbank |
| 04/08 | Nik Lipka | 04/21 | Susan VanBergen |
| 04/08 | Scott Miller | 04/23 | Alan Mayville |
| 04/08 | Sue Van Frank | 04/23 | Dan Osborn |
| 04/10 | Sheryl Squire | 04/23 | Michelle Moschke |
| 04/10 | Todd Rachow | 04/24 | Stephanie Chamberlain |
| 04/11 | Kathi Strahl | 04/25 | Caleb Rice |
| 04/11 | Katie Rice | 04/25 | Lilly Rice |
| 04/12 | Greg Neubauer | 04/26 | Allen Ramthun |
| 04/12 | Madelyn Jandt | 04/27 | Carolyn Flagstead |
| 04/13 | Avarie Bentz | 04/27 | Kim Wackernagel |
| 04/14 | DeeDee Treptow | 04/27 | Nick DuBois |
There will be a
Freewill Offering
collected on the 1st Sunday of each month beginning on Easter!
All of the donations collected will be used for the 150th Anniversary Celebration!
Freewill Offering
collected on the 1st Sunday of each month beginning on Easter!
All of the donations collected will be used for the 150th Anniversary Celebration!
| SERVING IN APRIL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:15 | 10:45 | ||
| ELDERS | Greg Neubauer | ||
| TRUSTEES | Sam Wackernagel | Allison Rant | |
| ACOLYTES | Paige Ramthun | ||
| USHERS | Jay Mulder | Jeff O'Connell | |
| Ron Bailey | Joel O'Connell | ||
| ALTAR CARE | Diane Babcock & Angie Wigren | ||
| PRAYER PARTNERS | 7th | Jay Mulder | Todd Tryska |
| 14th | Greg Neubauer | Eric Deremiah | |
| 21st | Todd Rachow | Art Jones | |
| 28th | Keith Ramthun | Jeff O'Connell | |
| We are asking for Greeter volunteers for each service, to stand behind the bulletin table and greet people as they come in. Sign up on the Bulletin Board! | |||
| GREETERS | 4th | ||
| 11th | |||
| 18th | |||
| 25th | |||
| MULTI-MEDIA | 1st | Eric Lindstrom (Maundy Thursday Service) | |
| 2nd | Eric Lindstrom (Good Friday Service) | ||
| 4th | Eric Lindstrom | Friday Family | |
| 11th | Jeri Wonders | Eric Deremiah | |
| 18th | Alicia Koski | Lizbeth Bentz | |
| 25th | Eric Lindstrom | Friday Family | |
| We are asking for volunteers for weekly coffee hour to make coffee and bring in store bought treats. Please sign up on the Bulletin Board if you are interested! | |||
| COFFEE | 4th | Easter Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall | |
| 11th | |||
| 21st | |||
| 28th | |||
| NURSERY | The nursery is available but not staffed. | ||
| ALTAR FLOWERS | 4th | ||
| 11th | |||
| 18th | Brooks | ||
| 25th | Cober | ||
Reminder
Just a reminder to Elders, Trustees, Acolytes, and Ushers... 1st service group is also responsible for the odd dated Lenten services. 2nd service group is responsible for the even dated Lenten services.Thank you for serving!!
If you are unable to fulfill your assigned duty, please make arrangements with someone before or after you on the list. Thanks!