Beloved Community

Our Wednesday evening time of learning and fellowship.

Our Wednesday evening programming, "Beloved Community," meets throughout the school year. The St. John's "Beloved Community" carries that name in order to help us become exactly that—a community of all ages and talents and abilities knit together in a beautiful web of relationships through the love of Christ.

  NEXUS
      (Grades 6 - 12)

Meal…

Every Wednesday, all are invited to gather—young and old and middle-aged, married and single—for a nourishing meal and fellowship, beginning at 5:30 pm in Weertz Fellowship Hall. Meals will feature nourishing healthy food.

Volunteers will be needed to prepare the meals each week. If you are interested in volunteering please sign up on the sheets provided in Weertz.

Some have asked about donating toward the cost of the Beloved Community meal, which is free to all. We gladly accept donations toward that meal, and you can send a check marked "BC" at any time to help offset the cost—approx. $250 a week. (Pastor Mithelman also accepts donations slipped into her pocket on Wednesday evenings!) However, we are committed to continuing the meal without charge to all who participate because this Wednesday evening programming is, truly, a Spirit-filled, life-giving time for our faith community.

Worship…

The family style meal is followed by a brief worship service at 6:15 pm, also in Weertz Hall, after which the education and choir hour begins by dispersing  people throughout the building. (See the schedule grid for room assignments.)

Learning…

Following the worship, there are opportunities for all from ages 3 to 103! The Education and Choir Hour begins at 6:30 pm. Along with choirs from Ages 3 through Grade 5, confirmation classes for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders meet at this time.. There are opportunities for adult education in the chapel. People are welcome to remain in Weertz Hall to visit and enjoy one another's company.

There is also an offering for those Ages 3 through Grade 5 who do not want to sing, but be a part of the "Beloved Community." This is called KIDZ @ SJLC. Our hope is that this program will build meaningful relationships between kids, God and their church. Kids are divided into multi-age small groups that encourage learning and relationship building. Each week KIDZ @ SJLC will experience a variety of discovery centers including science, art, service, and bible study.

We also work with students from the Oakridge Center providing tutoring. Tutors are needed to work one-on-one with a child on these nights. No teaching experience necessary! Just a love of kids and a sense of humor! Must be a member of St. John's for at least one year and have the ability to take the child safety course. Interested? Please contact Kristina Ahnemann at 707.0619 or kahnemann@hotmail.com.

We want Wednesday evenings at St. John's to be a time and place of community, where members of this household of faith become better acquainted with one another and truly feel at home. We hope that you will join in this wonderful opportunity to grow in faith and in love for one another. We plan on seeing you at "Beloved Community."

Cancellation Information

If you are wondering, if Beloved Community events are being canceled due to bad weather, there are four easy sources for this information.

1----If the Des Moines Schools cancel classes, there will be no Beloved Community activities on that evening.
2----Check our website at http://www.stjohnsdsm.org
3----Check KCCI-channel 8 for local cancellations
4----Call the church office. 243-7691