A Note from Pastor Bare

We continue to consider and expose the lies of the devil with the help of God's Word of truth.

Satan's lie this time is: "God would never love and save you! Your sins are too many, too big, too disgusting! For you there's no turning back!" These evil thoughts all feed the lie of despair. Of course, it is the opposite of the lie of pride ("You can be your own savior!"), but despair is just as dangerous, deceptive and deadly. Satan pounds away at us humans, "You can't save yourself! And don't think God would save the likes of you! You're hopeless and lost! See you in hell!"

It's part of the devil's one-two punch. His first thrust is to get us to love sinning, to entangle and entwine ourselves with evil. And then when we're feeling like a bug trapped in a spider's web and reconsidering remorsefully what sinning cost us and where sinning got us, Satan throws his second punch. "Sure! Now you're regretting your actions. Now you want God, but why would He want you? You're a filthy sinner and he's the holy God! You are repulsive and disgusting to Him!"

That powerful lie has worked with Judas and countless, nameless other men and women throughout history. How do we defeat it? How do we help others defeat it?

Notice first the sly half-truths imbedded in the devil's attack! We are dirty and disgusting because of our sins. True! And God is perfectly pure and holy. Also, true! But do those two absolutely true statements mean that God doesn't want us back with him? What Satan cleverly wants the person who has messed up to miss is GOD'S GRACE!

Our God displays his grace, grace in action. He sent His Son. Jesus is Grace personified and Truth alive in flesh and blood. We dirty, repulsive sinners latch on to episodes in our Savior's ministry and find there the hope that defeats despair. There's the time when a leper boldly confronted our Lord. "He knelt down and begged him, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean." (Mark 1:40) And what did Jesus do? How did He react? Did He shout, "Get away from me; you're unclean!" No! He reached out and touched the leper. It's worth repeating! Jesus touched the leper with His hand! And then He healed the man with his word! "I am willing." He told him, "Be clean. Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was healed."

We can draw a connection between physical leprosy and spiritual leprosy. We have to shout out, "I'm unclean!" But the holy God doesn't run away from us. He doesn't turn His back on us. He reaches out for us; in compassion he touches us. Jesus allows Himself to be called the "friend of sinners." And He proves to be our best friend ever as He became our sin-bearing substitute while crucified!

Let's never lose sight of God's grace! It demolishes the devil's lie "God would never love and save you!" and replaces it with the truth "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst." (1 Timothy 1:15)

Blessings on your day,
Pastor J. Bare

Worship Update

Greeters for this month:

Altar Committee for this month:
Becky Behrmann, Royce Kriewall

Congregational Acts

Transfer In, 2/10/26
Cathy Schwab from St. Bartholomew, Kawkawlin

Bible Classes/Sunday School

This is a reminder that we will temporarily suspend our midweek Bible study until after Easter for our midweek Lenten services. Our weekend Bible Studies (Saturday night and Sunday morning) and Sunday School will also pause now until after Easter.

Easter Flowers

If you would like to order flowers to help beautify our church for Easter Sunday, please see the sign-up sheet on the table outside the church office. The flowers may be dedicated in memory of someone or a special event. All dedications will be printed in the Easter Sunday Bulletin. Deadline for ordering flowers is March 20th.

Evangelism Commitee

Our Wednesday Lenten Dinners have started. As in the past we are asking for desserts for the dinners. Dinners will be served after the 3:15 pm services, 4:15 pm until 5:45 pm. We are asking everyone attending for a free-will donation for their meal. There is a sign-up sheet on the hall table for desserts, and for volunteers willing to help serve and/or clean-up. (Children must be accompanied by an adult)

Scheduled Dinners:

Trivia Night! On Friday, March 6th, we’re having a Trivia Night. We will be having teams of 4: you can have your own team, or be adventurous and draw a number to create a team of 4. The Events Group will provide beverages and tableware. We ask that you bring an appetizer to share. Prizes will be awarded to the 1st place team!

The hours are from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Look for the sign-up on the hall table so we can plan for the amount of beverages to have on hand. Let’s test our trivia knowledge and have some fun and fellowship!

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, May 16th, the event committee is sponsoring a ceramic craft day. Watch for more information!

Join us on a trip to the Lilac Festival on Mackinac Island. We will meet in the Meijer parking lot in Bay City on the morning of Wednesday, June 10th or Thursday, June 11th. $169/person includes: ferry ride to Mackinac Island, luncheon at the Grand Hotel, and free time to explore downtown Mackinac Island. This trips fill up fast so sign up early! To sign up, or for more information, contact the Beyond Horizons Tour and Travel: 989-770-7077.

Easter for Kids

Our Easter for Kids event will be Saturday, March 21st, 9:00 am – 11:15 am. Held in our school, this event is for children ages 3 (no diapers, please) through 4th grade (both members and non-members). We will share the true Easter message with them through a morning of crafts, music, snacks, activities, and an Easter egg hunt. Children under the age of 3 are invited to the Easter egg hunt at 11:00. Please pre-register! Informational flyers and registration forms are on the hall table and in the school office.

Adult Volunteers needed to fill eggs. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall on Tuesday, March 17th, at 11:30 am.

Helpers will be needed the day of the event (8:30 am - 12:00 pm). A sign-up sheet is on the hall table outside the church office. High school students: this is a great time to earn ‘volunteer hours’ for school.

Egg Hunt donations needed! We are asking for donations of bagged "individually wrapped" candy (please, no chocolate) for our egg hunt. Monetary donations may be made using the envelopes marked “Candy Donation” on the hall table outside the church office. Candy may be brought to the church or school office. Donations are needed by March 13th. Thank you!

Other Announcements

Pastor Benjamin Kempfert has returned our call to serve as our next Pastor. The next Call Meeting is planned for Sunday, March 15th. We will let you know the time soon.

Classroom Spotlight

We would like to share with you what is ‘happening’ in our school, so each month we will feature one of our classrooms and teacher. This month’s classroom spotlight is on our 7th & 8th grade class and their teacher, Stephanie Larive.

In class, we continue to learn about God's Word with Pastor Steinke and Pastor Bare, as well as help out in church. Confirmation is coming soon! We are working well with our new math curriculum, incorporating online modules to help us learn in different ways. We are spending a good chunk of the second semester diving into the American Revolution and the birth of our country, which seems fitting with the theme of the school year being "God Bless Our Nation, Church, and School" Psalm 33:12. In science, we are learning about the natural world, having just finished up minerals and rocks and now heading into atmosphere and weather. We have completed six novel studies this year so far, with our favorite being a book written in poems. Mrs. Larive is making us write our own narrative poems now.

We are very much looking forward to warmer weather so we can get out and start practicing for track and field, as well as have our silent reading time out in the sunshine of the courtyard!

School News

The race is on! Thank you to those who have already contributed to our school’s Accelerated Reader Prize Patrol fundraiser. It's not too late to help out! Drop your change in one (or more) of the classroom jars outside in the church narthex or in the gym hallway during the week. The classroom who collects the most change will win a pizza party! After week 3, grades 1-8 have raised $159.33. Mrs. Larive’s 7th & 8th grade class is in the lead with Mrs. Spaude’s 5th & 6th grade classroom in second.

The 7th & 8th grade class will be having a spring fundraiser with Sweet Sarah's Kettle Corn to raise money for their class trip to Mackinac Island in May. They'll be selling March 2nd- 13th.

Christian Education Sunday: On Sunday, March 8th, our Pre-K-8th grade students will be singing in the 10:00 am service. After the service, stop down to the gymnasium to see the projects and artwork that our students have worked hard on for the MLS Arts & Academic Fair and SJLS Fine Arts Fair. The Home & School Connect group is inviting everyone to attend a hot dog lunch that will be served in the gym hallway.

Also on Christian Education Sunday, our 5th &6th grade class will be having a bake sale to raise funds for their trip to Camp Timbers in May. We are looking for donations of tasty home-baked goods! Baked goods may be brought to the school office on that Friday before 12:30 pm and Saturday 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Also, on Saturday and Sunday before church, they can be put in the church office. Thank you!!

Grades 1 - 6 will be going to MLS to see their Children's Theatre production of "The Enchanted Bookshop" on March 13th. This play will be also open to the public on March 14th and 15th. For more information, see the announcement in the MLS section of this newsletter.

On Thursday, March 19th, join us for our Family D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) night, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm! This event is for all preschool - 8th grade students and their parents. Sponsored by our Faculty and Title 1 Program, we will have D.E.A.R. time, free books, crafts and a pizza meal. We hope to see you there!

Family Social Media: On Saturday, March 21st, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, we invite you to attend a presentation: Social Media/Technology and its effects on Mental Health. This presentation, which will be held in our church, is geared toward elementary and middle school families. Both students and parents will receive information on current mental health statistics and some practical tips on how to manage technology at home.

Home & School Connect will meet April 14th, at 5:00 pm.

Preschool packets for the 2026/2027 school year are available in the church and school offices.

MLS News

Registration for MLS Summer Camps will open on February 15th. These camps offer a fun, faith-filled environment where young athletes and artists can develop their skills, build teamwork, and grow in confidence. With outstanding facilities and a dedicated staff, each camp provides a high-quality and rewarding experience for every participant. Camp offerings include Fine Arts, Basketball, Football (including a Father/Son clinic), and Volleyball, with options available for a variety of age groups. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged once registration opens. The registration deadline is May 31st. Visit www.mlsem.org to register beginning February 15th and secure your child’s spot.

Camp Dates
• June 11–12: Grades 3–6 Fine Arts Camp
• June 15–17: Grades 5–9 Boys’ Basketball Camp
• June 17–19: Grades 6–9 Football Camp
• June 19 (5:30–8:30 pm): Grades 2–5 Father/Son Football Clinic
• June 22–24: Grades 5–9 Girls’ Basketball Camp
• June 24–25: Grades 5–9 Volleyball Camp

MLS Children’s Theatre: Michigan Lutheran Seminary is pleased to present its 2026 children’s theatre production, The Enchanted Bookshop by Todd Wallinger. Performances will be held at 6:30 pm on Saturday, March 14th, and at 3:00 pm on Sunday, March 15th. This production is free and open to the public.

By day, A Likely Story looks like an ordinary used bookstore. By night, it becomes a place of magic, where the characters inside the books come to life. Dorothy Gale, Robin Hood, Pollyanna, Sherlock Holmes, Heidi, and Tom Sawyer work together to help the scatterbrained owner, Margie, save her struggling shop. When smugglers arrive searching for a stolen necklace hidden inside one of the books, the characters must decide whether to risk being seen by humans or find a clever way to stop the crooks without revealing themselves.

Church Council Notes: 11/11/25

The meeting was called to order by President Larry Schwartz at 6:34 pm.
Pastor Bare led us in devotion and prayer.
The minutes from the January 15, 2026, council meeting were accepted as read.

Elder’s Report read by Luke Stehle

• Cathy Schwab is transferring in from St. Bartholomew’s – it was moved and supported to accept the transfer, motion carried

• We discussed the prior Lenten service process with Pastor Bare but also encouraged him that the flow of the service was at his discretion.

• Elders report was approved as read.

Evangelism Report:

• There were no new updates as of this meeting

B.A.L.M. Report - Read by Pastor Bare

• Pastor Steinke is the new chair of BALM

• The joint Ascension Service for 2026 will be hosted by St. Bartholomew’s

• BALM report was accepted as read.

Board of Education Report– read by Rusty Rothfuss

• Rusty attended the principal’s conference last month

• There was a discussion about having the teachers conference here at St. John’s in 2027.

• We made $288 from the basketball tournament – we would like to have that moved into the school revolving fund.

• Mrs. Larvie is requesting funds for the field trip to Mackinaw which was approved.

  • We also approved her doing a fund raiser for the field trip.

• We need to get updated calls out to our teachers whose positions will be getting changed next year.

• We want to get our teachers CPR certification updated – ideally all at the same time.

• Feb. 20 is Cardinal for a day at MLS.

• Feb. 27 is the talent show here at St. John’s

• The teachers brought forward a proposal for the 2027 school year calendar which is under review with the Board of Education at this time.

  Report was accepted as read

Trustees’ Report– read by Matt Pretzer

• Dean Boiler has addressed the heating issues that we experience in church.

• The trustees recently had a workday.

• We addressed hymnal racks in the sanctuary to shore them up from the weight of the blue and red hymnals.

• We had a few drains in the school that needed some work; they have all since been changed out.

• Trustees Report was accepted as read.

Treasurer’s Report– read by Kevin Peil

• Copy is attached to this report.

• Report was accepted as read

Pastor Report– Read by Pastor Bare

• A copy of the report is attached to these minutes

• Pastor Bare will be meeting with Pastor Schweppe to get a count for communion recipients from his shut-in visits.

• Pastor Bare is looking to use the Gospel of John DVD for the Lenten services passion readings.

• We are not planning on using power points for the Lenten services

• Pastor is considering holding off on weekend Bible classes as well as Sunday School for the Lenten season.

• We discussed the service time(s) for Easter Sunday – we are looking at doing 8am and 10am on Sunday. (There will be no Saturday Service for Easter)

• Report was accepted as read

Old Business

No old business.

New Business

• We are putting the presidium back together. The presidium will meet on specific items as needed.

• We are recommending that presidium along with the spiritual guidance of the pastor will act as the principal. The intent is not for the presidium to make decision in lieu of the school board, but this way there is not one individual over the school, but rather the heads of all the boards with the guidance of the pastor. A motion was made to accept this – it was moved and supported, Motion Carried.

• Meeting was adjourned at 7:25 pm with the Lord’s Prayer

Respectfully submitted,
Eric Merkle