NEWS

All Services Canceled

Coronavirus Update - Friday, September 25, 2020

St. John’s United Church of Christ Allentown has suspended all events, meetings, and worship services due to COVID-19 public health concerns. Our building will be closed to the public until further notice. Join us for virtual worship every Sunday at 11:00 am. You can find the latest updates about our church and virtual worship on our website at www.stjohnsuccallentown.org and our Facebook page.

May God's peace be your anchor during this time.

St. John’s UCC Supports Community Bike Works Picnic 2019

On August 29th, we sponsored Community Bike Works yearly picnic at Waldheim Park. The picnic supports the great work that Community Bike Works does helping youth in center city Allentown earn a bike of their own and learn about how a bike works and how life works.

Pride 2019

St. John's UCC Allentown helped the Penn Northeast Conference support our local LGBT community at this years Pride in the Park.

Welcome Pastor Emily Ann Garcia Livingston!

We Welcome Reverend Emily Ann Garcia Livingston

St. John’s UCC Allentown is excited to announce that Reverend Emily Ann Garcia Livingston has answered our call for a new minister. Reverend Livingston has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern University/Management of Information Systems and a Masters degree in Library & Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in 2008; she was ordained in 2010. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference and is currently a member of Living Water Church in Philadelphia.

While serving at Living Water Church, Reverend Livingston began a women’s ministry which centered on Bible stories examined from varying perspectives. As a Chaplain CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) Resident, Reverend Livingston worked closely with hospital staff and patients in several different departments, serving both the emotional and spiritual needs of all with compassion. Her work at the Free Library of Philadelphia demonstrates her ability to coordinate the needs and interests of the diverse Philadelphia community with the many opportunities available at the library.

With her passion for teaching, her excellence in administration, her gentle warmth, and her enthusiasm for life, we of St. John’s are cheerfully awaiting her arrival as our next spiritual leader.

Reverend Livingston will begin full time Ministry at St. Johns on June 9th, 2019

Click on the link below to view the video from Call Weekend

https://youtu.be/pSIhImav30o

Check It Out

The Youth in Judy Garrigan’s Sunday School have redesigned the Bulletin Board in the Great Hall. “The Many Names for God” is the centerpiece and the Board includes 5 Praying Hands, Interpretations of Ecclesiastes 3 “For Everything There is a Time,” and 5 “Take Away” Sheets for folks to “take what you need,” i.e. Love, Hope, Peace, Patience, Beauty, Courage, Strength, etc. CHECK IT OUT!

To Church

Some Spirit has sent us to this place

With hope on our faces

We come

Palms open, hearts open, we come

Seeking our selves.

What dreams drive us toward the God Who surely dwells here?

What faith touches our shoulders and gives us pause?

Perhaps the spell of light through brilliant windows,

The determined look on an acolyte’s face, the bloom of a candle flame

The sounds of children running, shrieking, laughing,

Singing, chiming

Telling stories all their own.

We come for food, yes, breathing the smells of onions frying,

Baking apples, peaches, pumpkin pie

Who is ready? I! I!

The trust of hand passing to hand the bread of life

The cup’s purple sweetness

Palms open, hearts open

We can pull patience from the marrow of our bones

We mourn the passing of another friend

And sometimes, hand to forehead, we are humbled by forgiveness

Or we just laugh together at the joy of this fellowship

The voice of God is calling out

We are asked: Can you? Will you?

We didn’t know we could! But, yes! We say. Yes!

I am here!

I can answer, ask, shop, bake, calculate, baptize, visit, give, collect, confirm, announce, come, go, drive, sing, record, sweep, scrub, climb, hammer, shovel, paint, type, play, preach, suggest, dance, reach, joke, arrange, learn, serve, teach, write, encourage, question, direct, encourage again, pray, and say “Amen.”

Palms open, hearts open

We give, we receive, we believe

Awash in the love of Christ

We find ourselves

Here.

Becky Bronfenbrenner 25 January 2019