St. John Norrona Newsletter
June 2024
Please have any reports or information to be included in the newsletter, submitted by the 24th of each month to stjohn.norrona@sasktel.net. Thank you.
If you would like to receive your newsletter by email, please send a message to: stjohn.norrona@sasktel.net
Pastor Richard D. Schulz
Parish Phone (306) 725-3113
Email – stjohn.norrona_pastor@sasktel.net
Mailing Address: Box 505
Strasbourg, Sk. S0G 4V0
Website: stjohnnorrona.com
Scripture Lessons
June 2, 2024:
Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Psalm 81:1-10
2 Corinthians 4:5-12 Mark 2:23-3:6
June 9, 2024:
Genesis 3:8-15 Psalm 130
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35
June 16, 2024:
Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15
2 Corinthians 5:6-17 Mark 4:26-34
June 23, 2024:
Job 38:1-11 Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41
June 30, 2024:
Interfaith Service at the Strasbourg Memorial Hall.
Worship Service at the Last Mountain Pioneer Home
Pastor Rick leading worship at the Last Mountain Pioneer Home on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. on the following days:
June 26th October 16th
July 24th November 13th
August 21st December 11th
September 18th
St. John Lutheran Church
Monthly Financial Summary
April 2024
Revenue
Total regular offering (includes for our
Church, CLWR, Benevolence, and pre-
authorized monthly giving) 7,396.62
Total other revenue (e.g. rental property,
donations, interest, etc.) 4,139.46
Total revenue 11,536.08
Expenses
Pastor Payroll (e.g. salary, benefits, EI,
mileage, etc.) 4,568.83
Missions (e.g. Benevolence, Sask. Synod,
etc.) 857.89
Worship and services (e.g. Pulpit Supply,
travel time, mileage, worship and office
supplies, Organist, Secretary, Treasurer,
Envelope, Secretary, etc.) 2,386.45
Church properties (e.g. power, telephone,
natural gas, bank service charges, line of
credit, insurance, church maintenance,
etc.) 2,070.65
Total expenses 9,883.82
Net Income $1,652.26
NOTE: On line donations for this month $310.00
Norrona Lutheran Church
Financial Report – April 2024
Norrona Revenue
*Regular Sunday Offering (envelopes,
loose) $1,162.00
benevolence/missions (including CLWR) $ 95.00
Total Revenue $1,257.00
Norrona Expenses
Paid to St. John
Offering donation $ 838.75
*Norrona Congregational Expenses (e.g.
maintenance, insurance, utilities, worship
& office supplies) $ 323.25
*Missions of the Church (e.g. Sask. Synod,
CLWR, and other Norrona specific mission
projects) $ 95.00
Total Expenses $1,257.00
Balance .00
Shared Ministry Report
The Rogation Service was held on April 25 with 38 members of the community attending. Thank you to John and Rhonda de Hoop for offering their farm as the location for this year’s service. During the service we asked a blessing for water, seeds, land, wild and free uncultivated places, gardens, animals/living creatures and tools. Each church participated and after the service we enjoyed refreshments and cookies.
The definition of Rogation as found in the worship service:
‘Rogation was an ancient church festival to seek blessing for a community and its sustenance. The word rogation comes from the Latin verb “rogare”, meaning “to ask”, which reflects the requesting of God for protection from calamities. Rogation Days were especially devoted to asking for God’s blessing on agriculture and industry. It involved praying for God’s blessing upon the crops and thus the well-being of that particular settlement. It is still observed by some places today – with a procession, prayers and a sharing of hope in God’s goodness to nourish every endeavor which enables people to flourish”.
-Brenda Small
Special Events Committee
A big thank you to all the volunteers that helped out with the preparing and serving of the lunch for Chris O. and Allan G. funerals. Also for all the donated baking, it is amazing how we all come together in the time of need.
The cabbage rolls sale was a great success, selling out in the first half hour of the sale. Thank you to the helpers for their time and effort to make, pack and sell the cabbage rolls. After expenses $593.03 was raised. What a great community we live in.
Anne Switzer
Chairperson
Worship Committee Report
Please note: Communion will be offered the 2nd and 4th Sundays in June as most pastors will be away at Synod Convention in Saskatoon on June 2.
June 2 – James Hoffman – lay service
June 9 – Pastor Rick – communion service
June 16 – Carol Schultz – Father’s Day lay service
June 23 – Pastor Rick – communion service
June 30 – Ecumenical Service at Strasbourg Hall, 10:00 am followed by lunch
Thank you to lay leaders for the great job in leading recent services. Peter Barry on April 28, Marvin Kelln on May 12 and Jan Schulz on May 26. Well done! The worship leader packages Pastor Rick provides are extremely helpful. It was also noted it does not matter whether the sermon is delivered from the lectern or the pulpit.
Names are still being added to the list for lay service leaders. If you are interested, or want to know more about it, please speak to Pastor Rick.
Ecumenical Service
a) Shared Ministry had asked for input on the idea of offering communion at the Ecumenical Service. Although we like the idea, the worship committee felt it should be discussed at the Ministerial level first.
b) St John is responsible for bulletin copies. Carol Schultz volunteered to do the welcome, announcements, benediction.
c) St John is to provide 3 dozen sandwiches and 5 dozen dainties for lunch. Please contact Carol Schultz.
Mother’s Day – flowers were handed out to all the ladies. Thank you to Joanna Munholland for special music before the service.
Father’s Day will be celebrated with our annual Sundae Sunday on June 16.
Worship Workshop has been changed to Saturday, June 15 at 10:00 am. Pastor Rick will be leading it. Some topics will include: reading lessons, altar duties, lighting candles, ushering duties, communion assistants, and hymn picking input, etc.
The Worship Committee usually meets the first Wednesday of the month. Anyone is welcome to attend any or all of the meetings anytime. The next meeting is Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 1:30 pm at St. John.
Submitted by Rhonda de Hoop
Worship Committee Secretary
St. John-Norrona Parish Council Report
It would appear that a beautiful Spring is once again upon us and we are being blessed by some timely Spring showers. The crops are going in on a timely manner and we are blessed with a great Spring.
While the transition continues for both our new Parish format, and our new format of a parttime call Pastor, the pace of “Things to Do” for council has slowed a little and the slowdown is truly appreciated. There’s still much to do but we are starting to find a “normal” and planned sequence of events.
As we find our way, we notice blessings rising up through the process. With the new need for using lay people to lead a service, we are finding that we have some talented people stepping forward and doing a great job to lead a service. A very special thanks to those people stepping up and taking on the responsibility.
Another factor that leads to our lay worship leaders success is the excellent leadership and assistance being provided by Pastor Rick. Rick is putting in a lot of hours to creating services that greatly makes the layperson’s preparation much less and easier. He is not only creating services for himself, but also each service we experience. Thanks, Pastor Rick, for this great leadership and effort. As Rick has mentioned in announcements, if there would be anyone else interested in providing service leadership, please contact him. The more that we can spread the workload around, the better for those involved.
It would also appear that the new format, and some positive financial giving by our membership, is improving our financial situation. We are early in the year, but it feels good for us to be maintaining and reporting a financial situation that is on the positive side of the ledger. Responsible tithing continues to be important, but your giving, both financially and giving of time is much appreciated.
There remains a lot of reorganizing with committees and procedures, but we are about to move into summer, when committee activity takes a bit of a bit of a break. We look forward to enjoying the summer and rejuvenating our energy to finish off the year. Stay safe and God Bless.