St. John's Lutheran Church

WELCA: “As a community of women, created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world.”

Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is open to all women of St. John’s. Nationwide, this network of nearly 500,000 women makes a difference in the world because God has made a difference in their lives. Here at St. John’s, there are four “circles” of WELCA who meet at various times each month. These dedicated, hard-working ladies can be found serving meals, hosting blood drives, visiting those in nursing homes, making quilts for local charities, and giving generously of their time and talents to further God’s mission in the world. In addition, they meet regularly to grow spiritually and recharge through Bible studies, fellowship opportunities, and regional events.

The four “circles” of St. John’s WELCA and their meeting times:

Rebekah Circle – First Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in Members’ Homes
Priscilla Circle – First Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Church Lounge
Sarah Circle – First Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in Church Lounge

For more information, click here www.ncwelca.org, or www.womenoftheelca.org.

Band of Brothers: The Band of Brothers is made up of an eclectic mix of men of the church and visitors who meet at a member’s home every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. The men meet for prayer, Bible study, and fellowship. Hearty discussions are an integral part of the evening. Members of this lively group take turns as leaders and range in age from their 40’s to 80’s. Contact the Church Office to find out how to join Band of Brothers.

Library: In 1966, through the leadership of Betty Jo Henderson Litaker, and the contributions, encouragement and assistance from fellow church members, the Library was born. After untold numbers of hours of purchasing, reading and cataloging books, St. John’s Library houses a phenomenal variety of Biblical reference and resource materials, children’s books, VCR’s, DVD’s, CD’s, the church archives, and so much more. The library contains more than 5,000 books, 150 audio tapes, and 500 videos. It is a library unequaled by another in North Carolina. In November, 2004, the Library was named “The Betty Jo H. Litaker Library” in honor of its founder who today continues to serve St. John’s as Librarian.

Lay Ministry: A senior pastor from Ohio became increasingly burdened by the unmet pastoral needs of his people. A Lay Pastors Ministry Group was formed in 1977 for the purpose of providing pastoral care to every member of the church by calling forth and equipping lay people who had pastoral gifts. It was soon discovered that lay people could authentically pastor and that other lay people would accept their pastoring.

This model of Lay Ministry was developed by Dr. Melvin J. Steinbron, author of the book, Can The Pastor Do It Alone? This model is now used in churches of all denominations throughout the United States, Canada and many European countries.

Locally, Marianne Wiegman serves as St. John’s Lay Ministry Coordinator and teaches this model through the country. For more information, contact mwiegman@bellsouth.net.

For more about Lay Pastors Ministry, contact lpmi@net-gate.com or visit their website at www.laypastors.com.