Up-Reach In-Reach Out-Reach The Divine News

Moving Forward

I am extremely excited to present to you, the members of SJD, our first edition of "The Divine News." This is a ministry outlet where we can commune as a family of believers, while thanking God for what He is doing in our midst. As Pastor, I am humbled by how the Lordcontinues to do great and marvelous things right before our very eyes. Each one of you that encompasses this body is important in contributingto making SJD what it is and shall be. I must extend my thanks to our Marketing Ministry who have worked so diligently to assist in producing this newsletter. Your hard work is noted in heaven. God bless you tremendously. Until the next edition, remember, We are "A Family Of Believers, Doing It God's Way!"

From the Pastor's Desk...

Media Ministry CD's of worship service are available for

purchase for $3.00.

Corporate Prayer and Fasting Every third Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.

Church Events June 9-12 Vacation Bible School

July 2-4 Summer Revival

October 22-24 Fall Revival

October 25 Community Day

October 26 Church Anniversary

October 26-31 City Wide Revival

Media Ministry CD's of worship service are available for

purchase for $3.00.

Corporate Prayer and Fasting Every third Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.

TutoringEvery Wednesday, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Learning Resource Center (LRC) Available Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Church Events June 9-12 Vacation Bible School

July 2-4 Summer Revival

October 22-24 Fall Revival

October 25 Community Day

October 26 Church Anniversary

October 26-31 City Wide Revival

Ministry Expansion Update

The ministry expansion team has been actively at work. They are meeting every Monday and are in constant dialogue with participating entities that will play a role in expanding our church facilities. Lot fit, architectural plans, and future ministerial accommodations are being meticulously assessed. Prayerfully, by the end of the next quarter, a formal presentation will be made to the church body. We are extremely excited and believe you will be as well with what will be shared. Keep praying as we MOVE FORWARD!!

Worship ServiceEarly Morning Service 8:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m.New Member Orientation 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship Service 11:00 a.m.

NurseryAvailable during the 11:00 a.m. Worship Service Ages: Birth - five years

Bible Study Every Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.

Teacher's Meeting Every Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.

http://www.stjohndivinembc.org/

Volume 1, No. 1

Seasoned Saints

F.L.O.

FLO Ministry

Y.A.C.The Young Adults for Christ Ministry is designed to help the continual growth of those ages 18–49 who desire to dive into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Our goal is to connect young adults to the Word of God, to the Church, and to each other. Our YACs have been planning a decade’s party (70s, 80s, and 90s) scheduled for July. For additional information, please contact the church's office.

Seasoned SaintsOur Seasoned Saints ministry focuses on the growth and needs of seniors in our church and community. You never retire from life and you don’t graduate from faith, so this ministry aims to keep going and growing. Members of this ministry are "normally" 50 years of age and above and gather regularly for social fellowship, special ministry outreach, and exciting trips. Upcoming events include the June 4th Blue Wahoos game and the Aug. 2nd Annual Birthday/Anniversary Celebration. For more information, please contact the church's office.

M.I.C.S.Have you ever thought to yourself,

“When you are single, all you see is happy couples and when you are in a relationship all you see is happy singles?” MICS, the Ministry Inspiring Couples and Singles , encourages faith, growth, and patience to singles and couples, and will educate and prepare anyone for either situation. This year, there was a two-part workshop on Intimacy. The topic for married couples was “Keeping it Spicy” and the topic for singles was “How to Date without Compromising My Faith.” This ministry meets once a quarter and the next workshop will be held on May 15th and 22nd, and is titled "Blended Families." Please contact the church's office for upcoming workshops.

(MINISTRIES IN ACTION)

Ministry OUT-reach

DIVINE KID’S CORNER...cont.

Welcome to a new ministry that is For Ladies Only ; designed to promote self-discovery, while growing stronger in faith and stronger in womanhood. The three areas of focus are: Fellowship - to be a community of faith amongst women, Advancement - to encourage women to advance from where they are to the next place God has, and lastly, Empowerment -to strengthen weak areas where they may walk in the confidence of God. Meetings will be held every second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm. Please contact the church's office for more information.

DIVINE KID’S CORNER

Food Pantry

MAN UP Ministry

Youth Ministry

Youth MinistryThe Youth Ministry of St. John Divine seeks to meet the spiritual needs and interests of youth ages 5-18. A 4-year old child can participate if the parent is also a participant in the activity. We believe in “training up a child in the way in which he should go.” Therefore, we provide a safe and fun environment of planned activities, such as movie night and arts and crafts night, to encourage healthy fellowship. We celebrate the importance of academic achievement by announcing our honor roll recipients each reporting period and by saluting our graduates each year. We also encourage giving by coordinating an annual community service project for youth participation. For more information or to enroll your child in the youth ministry, please contact the church's office.

Food PantryMother Teresa once said, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” The men and women behind The Food Pantry gear up on every third Thursday of the month ready to give love, patience, and bags of food to families in need. Registration begins at 10am and food is distributed until all families have been served. If you would like to volunteer with this ministry, please contact the church's office for information.

MAN UP MinistryWe are excited for our “Man Up Ministry.” We will defy the statistics that suggest there are no men in the church. We are here at SJD and we want the world to know. This ministry had its initial kick off in 2013 and is ready to continue to implore our Men of SJD to “Man Up.” We made a commitment to be courageous with our family, our mates, and with God. Let’s do it in Jesus name!

(MINISTRIES IN ACTION) ...cont.

We were elated to celebrate our Pastor, Dr. Joseph L Marshall, who has served for the past 4 1/2 years as our under shepherd here at St. John Divine. He has a total of 16 years of pastoral experience and 20 years of ministerial experience; we have been truly blessed by his God-sent leadership and his wonderful family. Also, preaching the appreciation services at 3:00 p.m. was his best friend, Pastor Anthony Brown, whom God used to lead him to the Lord and his acceptance of Christ while in Puerto Rico. We look forward to many more years under Dr. Marshall's dynamic leadership and Pastoralship.

Pastor's Appreciation/Celebration

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS DIVINE CELEBRATION

Sister Eurydice Stanley Sister Marie Slaughter

Sister Eurydice Stanley has been a member of St. John Divine for 2 ½ years and is involved with our Youth Ministry. In the community, she is a Mentor/Trainer for the NAACP Youth Council and is involved with Jackie’s JEWELS. When asked about her most proud accomplishment, she responded, "being Grace and Christian’s mommy," and secondly, "serving our country as an active duty Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel," retiring in July. When asked about her influences, Sister Stanley remarked that she admired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s love for mankind despite the seemingly insurmountable hatred and violence he faced, and Harriet Tubman’s courage and tenacity, which provided strength to those who, while being enslaved, had their spirit beaten out of them. Sister Stanley says that she would like to be remembered for loving God, her family, and for doing everything she could to expose her children to fun, life-enriching experiences, establishing a spirit of excellence within them and showering them with love!

Sister Marie Slaughter moved to Pensacola, FL in September 1972. She immediately became a member of SJD and has been for the past 42 years. She has served proudly on the Deaconess Auxiliary and the Usher Board, participated in the Baptist Training Unit, has regularly attended Sunday School, and is an active member of the Seasoned Saints Ministry. Her most proud accomplishment was retiring from being a teacher of 35 years where she was able to help her students meet their goals and achieve many triumphs. Another proud accomplishment was singing with a musical group from SJD called The Female Chorus. Sister Marie Slaughter had two main influences in her life, one being her husband. She says that he was really an inspiration to her life. “When we met, that was it. He knew that I would be his wife and I knew that he would be my husband.” Her second influence was Ms. Reather Travis, a mother-figure, who introduced her to St. John Divine. When asked how she would like to be remembered, Sister Slaughter referenced the Christian life she always aspired to live. She says, “I want them to remember how I tried to inspire everyone around me.”