I have been a member of St. John’s my entire life. As a child, I fondly remember walking with my family to church and Sunday School. By the time I was a teenager, I began to learn what it meant to volunteer and help my church community. I would go with my mother to help her prepare the altar for church services. Once I became old enough, I joined the Altar Guild to continue to help out in this way and have done so ever since.

I also involved myself in the church’s nursery program. It was always fun and enjoyable volunteering to take care of the babies and toddlers in the nursery room. My son, Joseph, also loved to spend time in the nursery room with me.

After my husband passed away, I was asked to become a Sunday School Teacher for the third and fourth graders. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the students throughout their time in Sunday School until they were confirmed. It has truly been a joy and blessing to help them and watch them grow. On that note, it is also interesting for me to reflect on the many years I have been involved with Vacation Bible School at St. John’s. I attended the annual event as a child and now, as an adult, volunteer every summer to aid this wonderful program and pass along the years of happiness and fun it gave me as a child.

I also have many fond memories of Christmas caroling along with other church members and my family to sing to homebound members. Seeing the joy on their faces when we arrived was always very heartwarming for me.

In addition to these, I am a member of the G.I.F.T. and Stewardship committees and also serve as a greeter, flower deliverer, gift presenter, and baker/server for fellowship and special dinners.

St. John’s has always been a part of my life and my church family will always continue to bring joy to my life. I am often reminded of this joy when I volunteer and give back to the community.

I have been a member of St. John’s Lutheran for as long as I can remember. I was baptized, went to Sunday school, got confirmed, and was married in 1991 here. After my daughter Alicia was born in 1992, I had her baptized here too. I can remember my Mom and Dad volunteering for different committees when I was a child. They would bring me, my brother and sister to church to attend service, help with decorating on holidays, go caroling at Christmas to our shut-in church members and let us help with altar care which included flower delivery when we were old enough. My mother would also bake, serve during fellowship/ congregational dinners and help teach vacation bible school when I was a youngster. My dad served as an usher and was on the property committee. They fostered in me at a young age the importance of being a good steward and serving your church and community in any way you can. When I was a teenager, I played my flute during church services and was a member of St. John’s youth group. After I became an adult, I chose to become a nurse and provided care to patients in trauma, critical care and currently in gastrointestinal /pulmonary endoscopy.

I have worked my entire nursing career at LVHN for the past 32 years. Although nursing has its demands of working holidays, weekends and different shifts, I have always tried to volunteer here at St. John’s Lutheran Church. I was part of the parish nurse team which had blood pressure checks held two Sundays a month during fellowship. I am currently a member of the Gift and Stewardship committees. I serve on altar guild, flower delivery, a greeter, and gift presenter with my husband, Bruce. I also bake for fellowships, serve during dinners, decorate the Church for the holidays and teach vacation bible school in the summer. I will continue to offer my time and talents to St. John’s because I find volunteering very rewarding and a good opportunity to meet and work with new members of my church family.

It is wonderful to see all the great volunteers at St. John’s who keep the Lutheran spirit alive and well. I only pray that St. John’s Lutheran Church continues to be blessed with so many great members who are willing to offer their time and talents, so the church can continue to grow and serve God and the community.

As a child, I regularly attended a small Lutheran church in Smethport, located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania. It was there that my seed of faith was planted and began to grow. I remember even now, many years later, meeting for First Communion and Confirmation classes. Lenten Breakfast services were held weekly with members of the neighboring Episcopal and Methodist Churches. Being in a small church, in a small town, meant that class sizes for Sunday School and Confirmation were relatively small, and likewise the pool of acolytes was also small. Nonetheless, we always had at least two acolytes at a service, and sometimes as many as six on special occasions. It was a pleasure to serve in that way. Our church actually shared a Pastor with a neighboring Lutheran Church in Port Allegany, ten miles away. Because of this, some Church functions, classes, and special events were held in conjunction with our fellow congregation. These factors all provided me with an opportunity to make new friends, provide service to the Church, and ultimately grow in Christ. During this time in my life, a foundation of both service to the Church and the Community was laid which ultimately (and literally) led to where and who I am today, not only as a Lutheran, but also as a husband, father, and police officer.

My wife, Maureen, and I joined Saint John’s approximately 14 years ago, shortly after we moved from South Allentown to our home in Emmaus. I distinctly remember our very first visit to Saint John’s and Harvey McGarry introducing himself to us after the service. That first visit was only the beginning, and since then, we have formed many more friendships and become part of the Saint John’s family. It has also been a pleasure to serve the Church in some small yet rewarding ways, as a Greeter, Gift Presenter, and Reader. Since joining the congregation at Saint John’s, our own family has grown, and Maureen and I have introduced our two sons, Griffin and Austin to the Church. Much of what our boys experience now at Saint John’s is reminiscent of what I experienced at a young age at Trinity Lutheran Church in Smethport. This not only makes me proud, but also provides me with an assurance that our boys will grow up with the same values and beliefs that I grew up with, and also be of service to their Church and community as they continue in their faith.