The Epistle for September 3, 2025

Faith in the Storm: Walking with Job This Fall at St. John’s

Dear Friends,

This fall we turn together to one of the most challenging and beautiful books of Scripture: Job. Job’s story is raw and real—he knew loss, he wrestled with silence, he endured the sting of unhelpful voices, and at last he stood in awe before the mystery of God. Through it all, he discovered what many of us have learned in our own storms: that even when answers fail, God’s presence remains.

For five Sundays we will walk with Job through his journey. Each week will draw us into a new dimension of faith in the storm: trusting God in the midst of loss, seeking God when heaven feels silent, learning what to do when friends get it wrong, embracing the vastness of God’s wisdom, and finally, resting in the joy of restoration and redemption. Alongside the sermons, our worship will be shaped by prayers and liturgy that echo Job’s cry and his hope, helping us to carry these truths not just in our minds but in our hearts and voices.

I invite you to come with honesty and expectation. Bring your questions, your griefs, your doubts, your gratitude. Bring all of who you are, because God meets us as we are. And may this refrain anchor us through it all: God speaks in the storm; we trust in God’s faithfulness.

In peace and trust,

Pastor Jon Burnham

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Thanks! Thanks!

And Thanks! 

From Vivian Ivy

I want to thank you sincerely for all the many cards, gifts, visits, balloons, and cake received on my 98th birthday. 

I will never forget it.

The best way to tell everyone was to put my message in the Epistle.

I have only a granddaughter and daughter-in-law left in my family. All of you are my family.

With love, 

Vivian Ivy

July 6, 2025

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Children’s Time to Begin September 14

Beginning on September 14, children’s time during our worship service will be offered on the second Sunday of each month. Bring your children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren directly to church on the second Sunday of the month where they will experience a time during our worship service that is designed for them. This provides our children with a special opportunity to be part of our congregational life. After Children’s time is completed, their Sunday school teachers will accompany them to class for the remainder of our service. 

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New Sunday Book Study

Have you ever wondered if you are following God’s will for your life? That you got it right? And just exactly how do you know? In the book The Way of Discernment by Steve Doughty, he draws from classic authors like Augustine and contemporary ones like Dietrich Bonhoeffer to reveal powerful ways in which to understand the practice of discernment. This is a study seeking clarity in discovering God’s guidance for both your personal and congregational life. Beginning on September 7 at 1:30pm on Zoom, come and join in from the comfort of your own home. This intriguing study will definitely deepen your faith and bless your spiritual journey. Books are available at Amazon.com (choose the green cover edition). Contact Lynne Parsons for the Zoom link at lynnep@sbcglobal.net. Everyone is invited.

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Advent Innovations Workshop

*Saturday, October 4

*McPhail Hall, St. John’s Presbyterian Church

Advent is the season that leads us into Christmas—a time of hope, waiting, and preparation. Join us for a workshop exploring fresh opportunities for spiritual formation this year. Together we’ll share ideas and plans for:

Creative spirituality and prayer centers

Special services of comfort for those who are grieving

Educational events for all ages

And more ways to deepen our walk with God

Come, bring your imagination, and help shape meaningful practices for this holy season.

👉 Register here: https://form.jotform.com/252387241427054

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The Harvest Is Plentiful: Gen Z in Revival and Retreat

When Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” he might well have been speaking into our own moment. A surprising field of spiritual hunger is opening before us—and it looks a lot like Gen Z.

The data can sound conflicted. On one hand, researchers note that Gen Z is deeply marked by anxiety, retreat, and disconnection. Yet at the same time, a quiet revival is rising among them. If you’ve scrolled through social media in recent years, you’ve seen glimpses—students praying in dorm rooms, worship breaking out on campuses, and young adults seeking God in unexpected places. What began (or at least came into focus) during the Asbury Outpouring of February 2023 has continued to ripple outward in waves and pockets across the United States, the UK, and beyond.

Movements like UniteUS, which swept across campuses in 2024, show that something is stirring. Even Barna’s research confirms it: two-thirds of Gen Z say they are highly or moderately open to spiritual things. Beneath the noise of retreat lies the possibility of renewal.

For the church, this is both challenge and invitation. The harvest is plentiful—right now, on college greens and in city coffee shops, among anxious students and searching young adults. The question is not whether God is at work among Gen Z. The question is: will we go into the fields, meet them where they are, and join in the harvest?

Let us pray especially for our own St. John’s college students and for all young people in the Gen Z age group (ages 13–28), that God’s Spirit may guide them, strengthen them, and draw them into the fullness of Christ’s love.

Source: https://careynieuwhof.com/church-trends-2025/

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Friends of Lulwanda Fellowship Dinner

Saturday, October 4, 5-8 PM

Memorial Drive Presbyterian

On Saturday, October 4, come and see how God is working at Lulwanda Children’s Home! Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. 5-8 pm. $30 per person. Speak to Libby Adams if you plan to attend as she has reserved a table for us. Or, click here to register.

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Faith in the Storm:

Lessons from the Book of Job

Starting this Sunday at St. John’s, we begin a powerful new sermon series on the Book of Job. Together we’ll face the hard questions of suffering, silence, and faith—and discover the God who still speaks in the storm.

📖 September 7 – October 5, 2025

⏰ Sundays at 11 AM

📍 St. John’s Presbyterian Church

Series Framework:

Week 1 (Sept 7): Trusting God in the Midst of Loss (Job 1)

– Loss and grief met by God’s unshaken faithfulness.

Week 2 (Sept 14): The Silence of Heaven (Job 23)

– God’s seeming absence as a deeper call to trust.

Week 3 (Sept 21): When Friends Get It Wrong (Job 16 & 19)

– Human voices can wound, but Christ redeems and bears burdens.

Week 4 (Sept 28): God’s Wisdom Revealed (Job 38)

– God’s mystery exceeds human control, calling for humility.

Week 5 (Oct 5): Restored and Redeemed (Job 42)

– God’s faithfulness brings renewal, healing, and hope.

Come as you are. Bring your questions, your burdens, your hopes. In every storm, God is faithful.

God speaks in the storm; we trust in God’s faithfulness.

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Men of the Church

on Wednesday, September 3

The next meeting of the Men of the Church is on September 3, 2025 at 6:30 PM in the Session Room. All men are welcome to attend.

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Health Savings Account

by Dan Herron

One income tax tool to consider if you qualify for a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) at your employer. You and/or your employer add money to an HSA and then future medical charges may be reimbursed to you from the HSA funds. 

Generally, this is what happens: Your savings to an HSA are tax deductible, meaning that they lower your taxable income. The HSA account’s growth, such as interest, is tax free. The distributions given to you are tax free.

Plan with your employer and start an HSA on a particular date. Contribute to it. Medical expenses that you pay from that day forward can appear as a “distribution” which is cash paid to you.  

So, you save some money into the HSA. In the future, these funds can be used to pay medical expenses, and there’s a tax advantage or two. There are two income tax forms, 8889 and 8853.

Keeping up with these items, payments into the HSA and distributions to you from the HSA are reported on IRS Form 8889. You must keep medical bills!

An HSA comes in several kinds with several names. Money goes in from several sources, usually you and your employer.  

This is complex income tax information. You should get a professional to help you to establish an HSA and follow up on the reporting and the distributions. Your employer or a financial professional can help with this idea. Alternatives do exist, such as an FSA.

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Want a St. John’s T-shirt?

The Caring and Fellowship Committee is taking orders for more St. John’s T-shirts which will be the same stained-glass white shirt design. You can place your order for shirts for you and the entire family on the order forms in the Narthex! Please put your name, phone number, and the number and sizes you need. The order forms are located on the same table as the “These Days” books are on. We will be asking for a “Love Offering” to offset the purchase price of the shirts.  

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With hearts united in hope, we lift these names into the healing presence of God.

Harriet Harper, in hospice care

Tom Edmondson, recovering from spinal surgery

Mary Hughes, recovering from shoulder surgery and flu

Family of Evie Nielson

Holly Darr, health concerns

Family of Gerry Jump

Karen Alsbrook, health

Kelsey Wiltz, health concerns

Glen Risley, health concerns

Family of Barm Alsbrook, death in family in Tennessee

Madalyn Rodgers, Kathleen Captain's sister

Joe Sanford, Scott Moore and Alice Rubio

Those looking for a job

St. Johns College Students

Raina bailey and the families in our PCHAS homes

One Hope Preschool families and staff

Caring for One Another in Prayer

Our prayer list is a vital way we support one another, lifting up joys and concerns before God. From time to time, we update the list to ensure it reflects current needs. If a name has been removed and you would like it added back, please reply to this email and let us know who they are and why you would like them included. Your input helps us pray more intentionally and stay connected to those in need of ongoing support. Thank you for being part of this ministry of care and intercession.

Prayer List Update – 

How Can We Pray for You?

As part of our commitment to intentional and meaningful prayer, we periodically refresh our prayer list to ensure we are staying connected with those who need support. If you or someone you previously requested would like to remain on the prayer list, or if you have a new name to add, please reply to this email and let us know.

We are grateful for the opportunity to pray with and for you.

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September Birthdays

Dan Herron (Sept 1)

Lea Sanford (Sept 2)

San Juan Flores (Sept 3)

Michael Rodgers (Lynne Parsons Austin’s son) (Sept 6)

Yor Ator (Sept 7)

Arwin Jump (Sept 11)

Kerry Gaber (Sept 12)

Allison Hardy (Sept 17)

Mel Liljedahl (Sept 20)

Sandy Kattner (Sept 21)

Somer Assad (Sept 22)

Bryan Boyd (Laurie Henderson’s son) (Sept27)

Linsey Sen-Roy (Sept 28)

Anniversaries

Dave and Rose Muanza (Sept 18)

Tom and Kristi Edmonsond (Sept 22)

Church Calendar

Thursday, September 4

 5:00 pm Exercise Class, Building 2

Sunday, September 7, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 9:30 am Sunday School for Adults, Lectionary, Session Room

11:00 am Worship Service, live in sanctuary and on Facebook

12:00 pm Caring and Fellowship Committee Meeting

 1:30 pm Book Study, Zoom

 4:30 pm Pack 8 Meeting, McPhail

Coming Events

Sun, Sept 7, Caring and Fellowship Meeting after Worship

October Stewardship Season

October 4, 2025 Presbytery Event: Innovation and Vitality during Advent

October 11, 2025 Blessing of the Animals

November 2, 2025 All Saints Service

November 16, 2025 Holiday Gift Market

November 30, 2025 First Sunday of Advent

December 24 Christmas Eve Service

December 25 Christmas Day

Church Calendar Online

For other dates, see St. John’s Calendar online: https://www.stjohnspresby.org/events/

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2025 Session Members and Roles

Elders on the Session: Class of 2025

Shirley Boyd: Christian Education      

Virginia Krueger: Caring & Fellowship   

Leonie Tchoconte: Caring & Fellowship        

Elders on the Session: Class of 2026

Barm Alsbrook: Stewardship and Finance    

Michael Bisase: Buildings and Grounds          

Jan Herbert: Christian Education

Elders on the Session: Class of 2027

Lynne Parsons Austin: Worship

Omar Ayah: Faith in Action

Marie Kutz: Personnel and Administration                 

Other Session Leaders and Support Staff

Jon Burnham: Moderator of Session           

Lynne Parsons Austin: Clerk to Session     

Tad Mulder: Church Treasurer           

Amy Caraballo: Financial Secretary  

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"Kingdom Stewardship: 

Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount"

Coming next month, as we move into Stewardship Season, we will move into a new sermon series.

Throughout "Kingdom Stewardship: Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount," we explore how Jesus' teachings guide us in stewarding all aspects of our lives—our blessings, influence, resources, relationships, and faith. By aligning ourselves with kingdom principles, we become effective stewards who advance God's purposes on earth. This series challenges us to examine where our treasures lie, to seek God's kingdom above all else, and to build our lives on the solid foundation of Christ the King.

This series thoughtfully incorporates significant dates such as All Saints' Day and Christ the King Sunday, aligning their themes with the overarching focus on stewardship. By pairing teachings from the Sermon on the Mount with complementary Old Testament passages, we gain a deeper understanding of God's call to live as faithful stewards in every area of our lives.

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Church Office Hours and Contact Info

Our church office is open Monday through Thursday, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Pastor Jon is typically available on Monday and Tuesday mornings, Alvina Hamilton serves on Wednesdays, and Linda Herron staffs the office on Thursdays. If you need assistance outside of these hours, please don’t hesitate to call us at 713-723-6262. To submit updates for the Prayer List or contributions to the Wednesday Epistle, kindly email Pastor Jon directly. Put "Epistle" in the subject line to make sure it gets in the Epistle.

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Church Website and Calendar Online

Our church website: https://www.stjohnspresby.org/

For dates, times, and events, see St. John’s Calendar online: https://www.stjohnspresby.org/events/

Email Pastor Jon to request an addition to the church calendar or to add an event or article to The Epistle.