Jesus proclaimed to his followers, “I will build my church, and the gates of hades will not overpower it.”  Matthew 16:18b. Nothing can stop the movement and growth of God’s church, whether it is a health pandemic, political pressure, persecution or even  spiritual laziness of His followers. God has more in store for St Joe and local churches all over the world than we can ever imagine, for His glory and honor. 

Our Back On Track Plan was implemented by the Elders and Ministry Team Leaders.  This has enabled us to create a safe and clean building for worship gathering and smaller group gatherings.  Our success is also attributed to how well each member has remained committed to the Plan. 

The Team Leaders decided during their June 11th meeting to designate the 10:30 worship service as a “masks required” time period in the building. People with major health risks have been excluded up to that point. Our 8:30 a.m. worship service is still “Masks Recommended/Optional” to be sure we don’t exclude attenders who cannot wear masks. Philippians 2:4 says “Everyone should look out, not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Thank you everyone for considering others in our congregation by adjusting your personal preferences to show God’s love in a practical way!
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Our leaders will revisit our Back On Track Plan, including when to restart Kid’s Connection and which worship service will remain “Masks Required”, in July.  Your prayers are deeply appreciated. 

St Joe created a website when we began in 2003.  Facebook was added, and in recent years, our sermons became available on various podcast platforms.  Listeners and viewers span the globe.  Sermon slides, notes and other resources may be viewed and downloaded as well.
 
We have been providing Online Worship Videos on our You Tube Channel and website, thanks to Chris Mann and Bray Snyder.  We also use the internet to connect online participants with in-person participants during our 6:30 Wednesday Prayer Services.  Some Connection Groups are also using online meeting technology to gather. 

Starting June 28th we will live stream our 10:30 a.m. worship service on YouTube!  Find us  online by searching for St Joe Community Church and looking for our logo, or go to our main website at stjoecommunitychurch.org to find links to our You Tube Channel, Facebook page and more! 
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More volunteers are needed for our Worship Broadcast Team.  Email us at stjoecommunity@gmail.com to learn how to help this vital ministry to homes locally and globally.

St Joe aims to grow “larger and smaller” all the time by reaching more people and connecting them in relationships through small groups (called Connection Groups).  They meet online, in person or a combination of both.  Other groups are still waiting to re-start.  A new Young Adults Connection Group is launching this month!    

Pastor Jon Moody, who joined our church with his wife Beth this past year, is our new Connection Groups Ministry Leader.  His many years of pastoring, including most recently a church he planted near Chicago, will be a tremendous benefit to us all!  Jon will work closely with current group leaders and our elders to develop ongoing support, training and basic resources. 

To learn more, go to our Connection Groups website page or contact our church office. 

David and Jami Kurtz, our Youth Ministry Leaders, have re-started Youth Group Meetings in our building!  Pray for our students to be encouraged and to grow spiritually through this vital ministry.

Missions at St Joe is defined by ministry we support and participate in that impacts people beyond our own “local church mission field.” We have sent out over 100 volunteers on mission trips, helped six new churches, and continue to work with local church planters.  St Joe gives 10% of our regular offerings to support the mission work nearby and far away.

Two newer churches worship in our building. The Potter’s House Church, led by Pastor J.T. Thomas, worships Sundays at 12:30 PM in the sanctuary. Bible Life Community Church, led by Pastor Ezekeoll Easton, worships at 11 AM Sundays in the basement Fellowship Hall. Both churches are seeking to relocate into their own facilities in God’s timing and provision. 

Date: August 3-5. More information coming in July.

Church Elders

• Greg Byman, lead pastor
• Jerry Jones
• Greg Minick
• Bill Wallace

Church Staff
Hannah Dreher, Worship Music Leader
David & Jami Kurtz, Youth Ministry Leaders
Lynnette Wallace, Office Team Leader

Church Family:
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The Mental Health Ministry team had wanted to send out a message of hope and resilience.  In this time of chaos, at times it is hard to understand and move forward in our lives.  It seems that “change” is always in our way.  Many years ago, I was told that change is the norm.  This seemed like an oxymoron .  How could change and normal be used in the same sentence.  But it happened.  Throughout our lives there  is always change, graduating from high school, going to college, or starting that first job, marrying, having the first baby or a major illness.  Adjusting to change is sometimes hard to do in the moment.  But we accomplish this again and again.

So, the virus is here, change again is in front of us, adapting to all that is involving in the world, changing our home life, work status, and social connections.  How does one adapt to all this new normal?   In our minds we  do what we are told, to stay safe, stay at home, wash those hands,  social distance, and wearing that mask.  So physically we have adapted to be safe.   But that leaves all the feelings, emotions that maybe we do not acknowledge  to ourselves, or to others that we normally would share when we had been social.  How do we manage these moments when we feel alone, isolated, and restless? With our modern technology we can call, text or email but that seems lacking in fulfilling the social needs that we had before all this change, before all this new normal in our lives.  Touching releases endorphins in our brain that providers immediate satisfaction for our well-being.  Doing physically activities such as swimming, putting lotion on our skin, keeping warm all can be helpful.

Lastly and most importantly is our spiritual health during this stressful time.  Reading our Bible, praying for God’s answer to all, and talking to the church family can be most helpful.  Perhaps setting on someone’s front porch with a cup of coffee talking or grabbing a chair to visit in someone’s yard just might be the answer to keep in contact.  In God’s word, Romans 5:2-5  …we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings because we know suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he had given us.   Knowing and believing these words can enable us to take the steps to manage our “new normal” within this chaotic every-changing world.  Please know that your Mental Health Ministry Team is here for you,  we are a phone call or email away.
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Jean Koogler, Karen Lothamer, Beth Moss, Tess Meussling, & Michelle Shannon

From: stjoecommunitychurch@yahoogroups.com <stjoecommunitychurch@yahoogroups.com> On Behalf Of Greg Byman gregbyman@gmail.com [stjoecommunitychurch]
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 5:14 PM
To: stjoecommunitychurch@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [stjoecommunitychurch] 6:30 PM Prayer and Bible Study Tonight
 
 
Hi all!
Join us in person on on Zoom for our 6:30 PM Wednesday Prayer and Bible Study, a new addition to our weekly schedule.  The Zoom link to join us online is located at www.stjoecommunitychurch.org
 
Please be patient with us as we test the live/online combined meeting for the first time.  Zoom participants will be seen on a flat screen TV.  I am hoping the webcam and mic from the computer will be sufficient for now  We are in the process of purchasing better equipment to facilitate this.
 
See you soon!
 
Greg
 
 
 


Greg Byman
Pastor
St Joe Community Church
Fort Wayne, Indiana
mobile:  260-403-5255
stjoecommunitychurch.org
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By Pastor Greg Byman
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PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
 
MATTHEW 6:28-30 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
 
1 PETER 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
 
LUKE 12:22-23 22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.
 
EXODUS 33:14 The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
 
HEBREWS 13:5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
 
JOSHUA 1:9 “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
 
MATTHEW 11:28-29 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
 
PSALM 29:11 The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
 
PSALM 73:26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
 
ROMANS 5:3-5 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Tips to Handle Anxiety During the COVID-19 Virus

1. Create a schedule - continue your work schedule at home just like going to work. Write down the night before what your schedule would be for the next day.  Do this for the family also.
2. Limit time spent on media regarding the virus.  Choose one time frame or news source that you would find credible to keep you informed.
3. Choose what media you will watch, especially one that gives healthy information to stay well.  Avoid multiple newscasts with negative information, such as the number of illnesses or deaths.
4. Exercise, which will relieve anxiety, such as taking walks while monitoring social distancing.  Doing strength training alleviates anxiety, such as dumbbells or weightlifting.
5. Label your emotions - choose a word that describes your feeling, such as anxious, confused, overwhelmed, fearful.  Saying the name of your feeling out loud makes things less scary.  Do this several times a day to identify the feeling.
6. Balance emotions with logic.  It is normal to have these feelings, but also state the facts:  that this pandemic will go away, the economy will rebound, and people survive.
7. Argue the opposite.  When you think, “My business will not get through this”,  argue that you will come out stronger than before.  Allow yourself to think positive and that you will emerge from this and things will be better than before.  Find a middle ground option for your situation.
8. Maintain social support.  Keep in contact with family, friends, church family to keep your relationships and social support moving forward.  Even support groups online can help you maintain positive thoughts. 
9. Focus on things you can control versus things you cannot.  You can manage your health, social distancing, how you spend your money.  This will bring some peace to your situation.
10. Externalize your anxiety.  Rather than saying,  “Anxiety makes me feel awful”, think and say,  “Anxiety tries to make feel like I cannot handle things”, or “It makes me pace.”  You can also relieve your anxiety by sleep, exercise or verbally saying out loud how anxiety is trying to take control of your situation.
11. Schedule time to worry.  Set a time aside, maybe 15 minutes, to think and feel all the worry.  When your time is up, move on to something positive.
12. Lastly, take time each day to read your Bible, pray and talk to the Lord!

 

A note from Chris Mann:

St Joe family, Pastor Greg asked me to convey that the St Joe leadership is closely monitoring and studying the counsel and directives that are being handed down regarding the Coronavirus/Covid-19. St Joe will convey an update on its ongoing ministry activities by this Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Please continue to pray for our leadership, our health and that of our community, and for God to use this time to bring people to a saving knowledge of the One who offers true Peace. This pandemic may have surprised us, but God was not caught off guard. Let's be a church that liberally and generously shares that Peace.