From the Pastor’s Desk

I thank my God every time I remember you. Every time I pray for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. I am convinced of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)

This is my last newsletter editorial to you as your pastor. On the one hand, there is a sense of relief that this is the last time I have to come up with something to put on this page for you. I mean, what more can I say after 30 years? On the other hand, there are a lot of emotions swirling around as I write this. But the one emotion that stands out above all the others is the same emotion Paul expressed in the Scripture reading above: joy.

I’m sure you’re aware that the Voters approved extending a call to retired Pastor James Bare to serve as your vacancy pastor, which he accepted. Pastor Bare had served many years at Salem, Owosso, Michigan. I have known him for those many years, and I can assure you that you are in good “vacancy” hands.

I’m sure you’re also aware that the Voters approved extending a call to Pastor/Doctor Wade Johnston, who is presently serving at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to serve as your next pastor. I am also acquainted with Pastor Johnston, especially while he was serving at Christ, Saginaw (Shields). Later in this newsletter, as well as in the bulletins, we will let you know what his contact information is so that you are able to talk to him about this call. I join you in praying to the Lord of the Church that he guides Pastor Johnston to reach a peaceful decision for the good of his kingdom as well as to meet your pastoral needs.

I mention these two calls because I am convinced, as Paul was of the Philippians, that the God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Just as God the Holy Spirit brought you to faith in Jesus the Savior through Baptism, so he will also keep you in that saving faith through the Word and the Lord’s Supper. I am convinced that our gracious God will see to it that the work of the gospel will continue among you. I am convinced that the Lord is that concerned and involved with your spiritual and eternal welfare.

I can’t say that my 30 years among you have always been smooth and easy. We have had our challenges and difficulties over the years. And yet, with God’s Word and his help, we have pulled together and worked together to overcome the difficulties. That is the “fellowship in the gospel,” which gave the apostle Paul and this Paul joy. I thank my God for the privilege of serving here at St. John’s all these years. I thank my God for the opportunity to get to know each of you and to serve you with the gospel. I remember you in my prayers now, and with joy I will always remember you in my prayers.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,

Pastor Paul Schaewe

Worship Update

This Month: The first two weekends of June wrap up the season of Easter with the theme: Because He Lives. The other weekends of June begin the Season after Pentecost. During the first series of this season, we will consider the theme Undivided Attention. Please note that the new service times go into effect on the weekend of June 7/8. The service details are in the table below.

Greeters for this month:

Altar Committee for May
Gretchen Trumble

Congregational Acts
Confirmed, 5/4/25
Olivia Adair
Graysen Ashlock
Mia Ashlock
Lily Byce
Mason Duford
Mason Krager
Isabella Novellino
Arabella Schmiege
Jett Schwall
Blake Shore

Adults Confirmed, 5/17/25
Shirley Kiesel
Karen Sweet

Received by Profession of Faith, 5/25/25
Laurie Morley

Members Removed, 5/13/25
Bradi (Andrew) Basset, Kerstin (Jaxon, Jameson, Madisyn, Carleigh) Iafrate, Chris Walker, Josh Bublitz, Mallory Kasemeyer, Dan & Diane Peters, Keith Walker, Mary Datte, Randy Kasemeyer, Adrian Salinas, Adam (Emma, Jordyn) Wall, Laura Fischer, Allison Klimaszewski, Nicole (Anastasia) Schmidt, Matt Wall, Marci Guettler, Kathryn Kohnert, Amanda Smith, Travis Winchell, Molly Guetter, Debbie Marsh, Marge Smith, Wesley Winchell, Kathy Hagen, Shane Marsh, Jean Sweeney, Sam Wingeier, Andrea Hopkins, Nate Meisel, Dave Traxler

Entered Eternal Life, 5/10/25
Jodie (Kolb) Winchell

Evangelism Committee

The Evangelism Committee has decided to no longer do the Easter and Thanksgiving dinners. We have determined that this program was not reaching our outreach goals.

Event Group

Calling all Detroit Tigers baseball fans! We would like to invite our church members to attend the Detroit Tigers home game Sunday, September 21st as they face off against the Atlanta Braves. The trip logistics will be coordinated thru Beyond Horizons Tour and Travel, 989-770-7077. The cost of the trip is $89.00 per person which includes transportation to and from, as well as your ticket to enter the ballgame. Registration is now open! If interested I suggest you call asap, the seats are filling up quickly. Currently there are only 30 seats available. Don't miss out on your opportunity to cheer on those Tigers! **Special note: This trip is also open to the general public, not just our church members.

Get Away: We are planning a 3-day, 2-night trip to Mackinac Island and the Soo Locks on October 1st – 3rd. There will be a sign-up sheet and flyers with all the information on the hall table in March. Invite your friends and family to join us for a fun quick trip “up north”. For more information contact Becky Behrmann.

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who made Staff Appreciation an epic week! Special thanks go out to:

• The following families who provided yummy breakfasts, lunches, and desserts: Keith & Debbie Byce, Jeff & Melissa Idalski, Chad & Amy Krager, Dave & Kathy Lane, Ryan & Melissa Morley, Francis & Andrea Schlaud, Jeff & Jacqui Schwall, Rich & Nicole Westerby, Michael & Brenna Zaplitny

• Volunteers who came in to watch the students for recess/lunch so the teachers could enjoy a proper lunch hour

• Kellie Pergande for providing her massage therapist to rub out the kinks on Friday

• The students for being such great sports in dressing up on each of our theme days

• The Staff Appreciation Committee: Amy Krager, Michelle Pavlawk, Kellie Pergande, Jacqui Schwall, Andria Kroening for their creativity and hard work in planning this unbelievable week.

• The school and church members who gave wonderful donations that were used to purchase special gift cards for our faculty and staff
  

Other Announcements

Our Vacancy Pastor, James Bare, will begin his work here June 2nd. His contact information is:

Church phone: 989-684-6791
Email: japastorbare@gmail.com

Call Update: At our meeting on May 11th, Rev. Dr. Wade Johnston of Wisconsin Lutheran College was called to serve as our next Pastor. Please keep Pastor Johnston in your prayers as he deliberates his calls both at WLC and St. John’s. His contact information follows. He welcomes us reaching out to him via text or email, and will be happy to schedule phone calls for those who would like to talk.
Email: wade.johnston@wlc.edu

Service time changes: Beginning the weekend of June 7th & 8th, our services will be held 6:00 pm Saturday & 10:00 am Sunday.

On Sunday, July 27th, join us for our annual church picnic and outdoor service at Williams Township Park in Auburn. Church service begins at 11:30 am with a potluck dinner following.

School News

The school year is drawing to a close! Please look over the re-enrollment paperwork that was sent home in March with your student(s) and turn your signed tuition worksheet, FERPA consent form(s), and Media Permissions form(s) to the school office. Complete your PowerSchool online registration for each returning student, and log in to FACTS to verify your bank account information. These all must be done by the end of the current school year. Visit https://www.stjohnsbc.org/sjlsenrollment for more info.

Family Fun Nights: From July 7th through July 28th, Mrs. Peil will be having open playground on Monday evenings from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, to give children and families a chance to get together and visit. The parking lot will be open so bring your lawn chair and plan to have a great time visiting while the children have fun playing! Everyone is invited, so bring a friend. Cancelled if raining at 6:00 pm. Popsicles provided, so come join us! Please, children must wear playground-appropriate shoes, and be accompanied by an adult.

Preschool packets for the 2025/2026 school year available in the church and school offices.

Around the WELS

Pet Adoption Day! Gephart Funeral Home will be hosting a pet adoption day on Saturday, June 7th, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. Come out and give these fur babies some love or take one home with you! Bay County Animal Services and Adoption Center will be involved in this event, as well as several other pet adoption agencies. Gephart will split the cost and pay for half of the adoption fee for every animal that finds their forever home.

Vacation Bible School – SAVE THE DATE! The Mt. Olive VBS is being planned for Wednesday, August 6th – Friday, August 8th under the theme: Soaring High! Enrollment is Preschool through the 6th grade. Contact the church office for an application (churchoffice@mtolivelutheranbc.org, or 989-684-0484). And if you would like to volunteer, please speak with Pastor Steinke.

The ladies' group of St. Jacob Lutheran Church in Grass Lake, Michigan, called Women in God's Service (WinGS), is planning to hold a 3-day weekend retreat from Friday, September 26th to Sunday, September 28th. As with our past weekend retreats, the event will be held at FaHoLo Conference Center, 3000 Mt. Hope Rd, Grass Lake, Michigan. The theme this year is Power of God: Powered by God.
Tentative schedule.

• Friday: check-in at 4:00 pm, dinner at 6:00 pm, and an evening session;

• Saturday: 2 morning sessions, free time/outings/theme-based activity/craft in the afternoon, an evening session, and then craft/movie/visiting time; and

• Sunday: church at St. Jacob Ev. Lutheran Church, a final session, and lunch, ending around 2:00 pm. Optionally, people can attend on Saturday only, with or without meals.

  Attendance is not limited to Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) members.

Please email or call us by June 15th if you would like to participate this year to help us know how many people to expect as we continue to make plans for the retreat. Please also say whether you plan to stay at FaHoLo or just come for some or all of the sessions. Prices and more information are on the table outside the church office. Prices are very similar to those in 2023. We plan to send the registration form around July 15th. If you have any questions, or to RSVP, contact Kaye Marz at a2kim10@gmail.com or call (734) 646-6984.

MLS News

MLS Summer Camp: Don’t miss out on an unforgettable summer experience! Deadline to register is June 1, 2025! Whether your child is into Fine Arts, Basketball, Football, or Volleyball, we’ve got a camp designed to help them grow in skill, teamwork, and faith. Spots are filling up fast, so secure your child’s spot today! Don’t forget: Use code FAMILY at checkout for a 15% discount when registering multiple campers from the same family. Visit www.mlsem.org to secure your child’s spot today.

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is underway at Michigan Lutheran Seminary. If your family plans to send a new student in the Fall, now is the time to apply! Visit www.mlsem.org for information and the application form. If you would like to know more about the school or the admissions process, please reach out to MLS Admissions Director, Pastor Jared Natsis, at jared.w.natsis@mlsem.org.

Church Council Notes:
From the meeting on May 13, 2025

Start of the Meeting

• Phil Lane called the meeting to order.

• Pastor Schaewe opened with devotion.

• The Minutes of the April meeting were approved.

• Pastor Bare attended the meeting. He listed his priorities during the vacancy, gave his contact information, and asked questions which the Council answered.

Elder’s Report

• Changes in Membership: The Council approved the Elders’ recommendation to remove the following inactive members from membership: Bradi (Andrew) Basset; Josh Bublitz; Mary Datte; Laura Fischer; Marci Guettler; Molly Guetter; Kathy Hagen & Matt Wall; Andrea Hopkins; Kerstin (Jaxon, Jameson, Madisyn, Carleigh) Iafrate; Randy (Mallory) Kasemeyer; Allison Klimaszewski; Kathryn Kohnert; Debbie & Shane Marsh; Nate Meisel; Dan & Diane Peters; Adrian Salinas; Nicole (Anastasia) Schmidt; Amanda Smith; Marge Smith; Jean Sweeney; Dave Traxler; Keith & Chris Walker; Adam (Emma, Jordyn) Wall; Wesley & Travis Winchell; Sam Wingeier.

• Spiritual Concerns: Attendance in April, with Holy Week & Easter, was lower than last year.

• Other Items: We set the time for the PowerPoint training session for Saturday, May 24 at 10:00 am.

• Council approved a motion to accept the Elders’ Report.

BALM Report

• No report: will meet on June 8.

Board of Education Report

• The Board has reached out to District President Sims and the Commission on Lutheran Schools for names of retired male teachers in our area whom we may call to serve as principal part-time during the next school year.

• Council approved a motion to accept the Board of Education report.

Evanelism Committee Report

• No report.

Trustees’ Report

• The approved church roof repair project is underway.

• The approved organ blower repair project is being scheduled.

• The City will soon be working on the water main in front of 214 Mountain.

• The Trustees are planning to tackle the item list for 214 S. Mountain and are waiting for information to fix the sewer issue.

• Council approved a motion to accept the Trustees’ Report.

Treasurer’s Report

• Year-to-date Offerings: $170,465; $16,430 ahead of budget.

• Year-to-date General Fund Income: $203,665; $8,014 ahead of budget.

• Year-to-date General Fund Expenses: $196,933; $3,559 ahead of budget.

• General Fund Balance: Beginning of January = -$10,449; End of April = -$3,718

• Cash-on-hand: $100,369.

• Council approved a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report.

• Council approved a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report.

Old Business

• None

New Business

• The Council approved the amounts the Board recommended of financial aid for next school year to school families who applied.

  Meeting was adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer.