125th anniversary commemorative book
DESCRIPTION
A publication assembled for St. John Lutheran Church's 125th anniversary celebration held in 2015.TRANSCRIPT
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
St John Lutheran Church Janesville, Wisconsin
1890-2015
Celebrating 125 Years of Blessings
125th Anniversary Commemorative Book
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Staff
Rev. Bond Haldeman, Pastor
Rev. David Nelsestuen,
Visitation and Outreach Pastor
Melissa Van Tassell,
Administrative Assistant
Pat Meehan, Clerical Assistant
Les Meehan, Maintenance
Jennifer Hein, Custodian
Sandy Skildum, New Hope
Choir Director
Londa Rusch, 180 Group
Director
Ellen Westlund, Organist
Shelly Frank, Accompanist
Delight Antos, Organist
Judith Magnus, Parish Nurse
Rev. Bond Haldeman
Pastor
A Letter from Our Pastor
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Give glory to the Lord, your God.
One-hundred twenty-five years for a congregation is no small feat, especially in the most recent decades. (It is not the 50's nor the 80's anymore.) You have probably heard the stories of Pastor So-and-so who was so important to the congregation. You can probably name a number of significant figures in the history of the congregation, be they Sunday school teachers, superin-tendents, secretaries, custodians, or musicians. We might be tempted to glorify the efforts of those who have come before us, or pat ourselves on the back. But the anniversary of a congregation is not about praise for you or
your ancestors, or me or my predecessors.
In the world, it has become a habit to identify heroes and villains, individuals upon whom everything can be hung, the good and the bad. However, I think it is rarely a sole individual that determines the course of events, but the vari-ous relationships and interactions of the individuals in a community that make the difference. But even such a systems perspective does not capture the truth we celebrate on the anniversary of a congregation. The Apostle
Paul writes about it this way (1 Cor. 3:6-7):
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God
who gives the growth.
On this occasion of the 125th Anniversary of Saint John Lutheran Church, we give the glory, honor, praise and thanksgiving to God. It is our Father in heaven who has made possible this congregation, its blessings to us, and its ministry to the city of Janesville, for 125 years. And as we remain faithful to God, who continues to call, gather, enlighten us, and make us holy through Jesus Christ, we can look forward to decades yet to come. So we celebrate God today, as we ought to everyday, and remember the church of which God has made us a part, the Body of Christ to which we belong, and the promises
of God through Jesus Christ given to us in this community of faith.
Thanks be to God.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Congregational
Council 2015
Ted Grund, President
Greg Griffith,
Vice President
Todd Duckworth, Treasurer
Cathy Prusansky, Secretary
Tammy Albrecht
Tim Banwell
Lorrie Craig
Ron Hornsey
Judi Magnus
Melanie Morgan
Scott Meyers
Shirley Meyers
Kathy Severson
Ted Grund
A Letter from Our Council President
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future
I want to start by saying THANK YOU to the founding families of St. John Lu-theran Church. These families began something they felt was important for themselves and for their families 125 years ago. There are still members of St. John today whose parents, grandparents, or family members were one of those founding families. How exciting to still have this link to our humble beginnings. To think that our congregation is alive and well after all these years is truly something to celebrate and to honor! Our 125 year Celebration Committee has done an outstanding job of bringing this history to life for the entire congregation to reflect upon, appreciate, and smile about. What a joy it has been to see the pictures of current church mem-bers when they were in Sunday school, to watch a video of the construction of our current church building over 50 years ago, to appreciate pictures of past weddings held here, or to reflect on past confirmation classes of current mem-bers today. I think the biggest reactions were from those who remember previ-ous Pastors and the joy they recall from past experiences in their lives. Hearing these shared memories told by many of our current members is what all of us love about being a part of a long standing church experience here at St. John. As a current church council member, I can tell you that your council is made up of committed members who have been a part of our church’s history in many different ways. Though their individual St. John histories may vary, their appreci-ation and respect for our congregation’s 125 year history does not. Our history is a part of all of us and helps shape our decisions for this congregation’s future. 125 years later we certainly look a little different than we did at our beginning. What would be the reaction from a founding family if you told them in 2015 we videotape all of our services so you can watch them from home, we project our service on a giant projector screen, we are working on updating our new web site to be seen from a mobile phone, or you can even find us on Facebook! Times have certainly changed. There are many things which have changed about the way St. John functions today, but after 125 years, what has not changed is our commitment to our iden-tity and who we are as a church family. It is exciting to think of what the next 125 years will bring to our congregation. The building may be different, our address may be different, but our one Voice, one Faith, one Purpose, and one Church family will be the same. Appreciate, embrace, and enjoy this moment in our church’s history, for WE ALL are an integral part of the reason we are celebrating our church’s history. God has truly blessed St. John Lutheran Church! God Bless, Ted J. Grund Council President
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
February 20, 1890—First meet-
ing to discuss forming a new
congregation
February 26, 1890—Constitution
for the new congregation ap-
proved and call issued.
Pastor G. Kaemplein accepted
the call and began serving in
1890.
First church dedicated on
September 13, 1890.
Services held in German.
Day School in German until
1918.
German language services
discontinued in 1940’s.
Timeline
In the beginning…..
On February 20, 1890, a group of German Lutheran men gathered to discuss forming a new congregation…..
On February 20, 1890, a group of Lutheran men of Janesville, Wiscon-
sin gathered to organize a second German Lutheran Church in the city. The
gathering, members of St Paul’s Lutheran Church, left that congregation be-
cause of a disagreement over its’ ban on fraternal societies. On that day, an
election of temporary officers was held and a constitution discussed.
A Constitution was written and adopted on Feb. 26, 1890, and the
name St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church was taken. At this meeting, a call
was issued to Pastor G. Kaempflein of Beloit to be the pastor.
The founding members of the congregation were Carl Heinrich Kueck,
B. Gerard, G. Schulz, Carl Schnoeckel, Ferdinand Holz, August Abendroth,
August Strampe, W. Perleberg, Carl Heiss Sr., Otto Jaecke, Jul. Berchstein,
Fred. Potthoff, Fritz Vogel, Wm. Schmidt, H. Buchholz, Wm. Meyer, Aug.
Gehrke, Carl Heiss Jr., Wilhelm Behm, Charles Freimann, Charles Wilkes, Gust
Heiss, Herman Krebs, Friedrich Hein, Max Pfenning, Gust. Heise, and Otto
Kneip.
The first church property was purchased on the corner of North Bluff
Street (Parker Drive) and Pease Court. On this lot were two frame buildings,
one of which was remodeled and used as a church building, while the other was
used as a parsonage. A small class room attached to the church was used as a
day school. The first house of worship was ready for services on the third Sun-
day of June, 1890. By fall, the remodeling was complete and the new church
was dedicated on Sept. 13, 1890. Another German congregation, St. Mary’s
Catholic Church, gave a bronze and walnut crucifix for the altar of the new Lu-
theran Church to welcome them to neighborhood. The parsonage at 219 Pease
Court was built after 1898..
The services in the first church were held in German at 10:15 am, followed by
Sunday School at 11:30 am. Originally all of St. John’s services were conduct-
ed in German and the congregation sponsored a German day school. By 1918,
the day school had given way to an organized Sunday School, and English was
introduced into the services and the Sunday School. German services contin-
ued every Sunday until the 1930s, when the frequency of these services was
scaled back to once a month. Finally, in the 1940s, the German service was
discontinued.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Young People’s Association
(JungerVerein) founded
Women’s Association (Frauen
Verein) founded
January 1913—Decision to build
new church
Second church dedicated on No-
vember 30, 1913
Congregation in Hanover
Mortgage for 1913 Church
burned on May 19, 1929
Renovations to Church in the
1930’s
Timeline
A Young People’s Association was chartered in 1890 and met
monthly until about 1917. The original constitution and minutes are recorded in
German. The last few entries in the record book are written by the same secre-
tary but are now written in English.
A Women’s Organization existed from the start at St. John, the first one bearing
the name Frauen Verein, which translates “Women’s Association”. The Frauen
Verein was organized “for the purpose of learning and doing God’s will”. Their
first constitution was labeled the “Martha Marian Society in 1893. In 1917, the
name was changed to Ladies Aid Society. In 1960, the Ladies Aid Society and
the Women’s Missionary Society, a group founded in the 1920’s, merged to
become the American Lutheran Church Women, ALCW, a name that developed
from the church’s new synod affiliation. In 1987, another synod merger resulted
in another new name, Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
WELCA. Since 1890, the women of the church have met regularly for Bible
study and service to others, both within the church and within the community
and world.
At the annual meeting in January 1913, the congregation unanimously voted to
build a new church with a basement for Sunday School and other activities.
Emil Pautz, who bid $13,217 for the construction of the new building,
was hired as contractor. Members of the congregation donated generously for
the new church. Pastor Fuchs solicited enough money from Janesville busi-
nessmen to pay for the mahogany pews. The cornerstone was laid in June,
and St. John’s second house of worship was dedicated on Nov. 30, 1913.
The 1920’s were a time of growth and vitality for St. John. The Broth-
erhood, a men’s organization, flourished and performed popular minstrel shows.
Also during this time, the Luther League became so large they split into two
leagues, Junior and Senior.
During the 1920’s, 30’s and early 40’s, St John’s pastors also served a
congregation in Hanover, southwest of Janesville, The Hanover services were
discontinued in 1944.
. On May 19, 1929, the mortgage covering the 1913 edifice was burned.
During the 1930’s, the church constitution was rewritten and the common com-
munion cup was dropped in favor of the individual communion cup. Another
change during this time was the removal of the German lettering on the front of
the church. There was a general remodeling of the interior of the building as
well. The lettering “Ehre zei Gott in der Hohe” was replaced with the English
words, “Glory to God in the Highest,” in another of the moves to Americanize
the church.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Junior Mission Band, forerunners
of the Junior Lutherans, founded
Educational Unit built in 1959
Dedication of Educational Unit
on January 17, 1960
Lonbard Avenue Parsonage
purchased
Plans made for new church
beginning in December of 1962
Cornerstone laid on October 25,
1964
.
Timeline
In 1944, the basement of the church building was remodeled to provide addi-
tional Sunday School rooms. Another development during this time was the
formation of the Junior Mission Band, which was not a musical group but an
organization of young people who banded together to support mission work.
This forerunner of the group known as Junior Lutherans, concentrated on mis-
sions in New Guinea. The Junior Lutherans began in 1958, and were very ac-
tive until they disbanded in 1986. The service at Hanover was discontinued in
1944. A son of the congregation, Gerald Herbener, was ordained.
The congregation continued to grow rapidly in the 50’s and the need for a larger
Sunday School was clear. Classes met in the basement of the parsonage and
in three houses on Pease Court that had been purchased for use as overflow
Sunday School rooms. In 1959, an educational unit was built at a cost of
$250,000. The building was dedicated on January 17, 1960. Afterward, the
houses that had been used for Sunday School overflow were demolished, and
the property was converted into a parking lot.
In 1969, the Pastor and his family moved into a new parsonage at
2404 Lombard Ave. Four pastors and their families lived there until the Lom-
bard parsonage was sold in 1978.
The Educational Wing of the church was completed in 1959, but
thoughts soon turned to the church itself. Due to the physical condition of the
church and the crowded conditions in the sanctuary, a third house of Worship
was imminent. At the congregational meeting in December, 1962, a building
committee was elected. After a series of planning meetings, Charles E. Stade
& Associates were hired as architects. Ernst Schwidder, a noted artist, worked
with the architects in the design of the new worship space. Soon after the hiring
of Charles E. Stade & Associates, plans for the new building and the financing
were approved. The third house of worship was built at a cost of $395,000.
Additional property was bought across the street for a future parking lot. The
building program got under way with the razing of the old church in July of 1964,
and groundbreaking for the new church took place on August 2, 1964. During
the time of the building of the new church, the congregation held services in the
Myers Theater. Sunday School continued to be held in the new educational
unit. The congregation responded wonderfully during this challenging time the
work went forward without interruption.
The cornerstone was laid on October 25, 1964, with council members,
organization officers, and building committee members all taking part in placing
appropriate articles in the cornerstone. New articles, as well as the old articles
from the 1913 cornerstone, were included.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
1964 Church finished and used
for the first time on May 30, 1965
Thirty one students confirmed on
that first Sunday
1964 Church dedicated on
October 3, 1965
First assistant pastor called in
1973
Prayer Garden built and dedicat-
ed on June 22, 1975
Television ministry begins1975
Golden Diners begins in 1977
St John has a reputation for
hospitality to our entire
community
Timeline
Due to the splendid cooperation between contractors and building
committee, the new church was completed and was used for the first time on
May 30, 1965. The congregation met for an opening service at the Myers Thea-
ter and then processed to the new church, preceded by the Boy Scouts bearing
the Christian and American flags, Pastor Docken, Vicar Sorenson, the council
members carrying the altar furnishings, the confirmation class, and the choir.
The contractor gave the key to the architect, who presented it to Willard Naatz,
chairman of the Building committee. Mr. Naatz opened the door and Pastor
Docken invited all to enter the Lord’s House.
The first memorable occasion in the new church building took place on
this first Sunday with the confirmation of 31 young people.
With several items in the church to be completed, the dedication was
set for October 3, 1965, with Dr Myron Austinson, President of Southern Wis-
consin District, ALC, as the Dedicator. It was decided to set apart October as
Dedication and 75th Anniversary month. On October 24th we observed the 75th
Anniversary of St John Lutheran Church. Beginning in 1971, fifth graders
received their First Communion. Prior to this time Communion had been part of
the rite of Confirmation.
At the annual meeting in 1973, the congregation voted to hire a second
full-time pastor . Pastor Elliott Hull became St. John’s first full-time assistant
pastor in August 1973. He was followed by seven other assistant and associ-
ate pastors.
In 1975, the congregation acquired the Slightham property north of the
church on Parker Drive. The property was converted into a prayer garden by
the men of the church and dedicated on June 22, 1975.
St. John’s television ministry began in 1975. Larry Fry was our first TV
ministry Chairman. He set up the protocols and equipment to videotape your
services and maintained them for over thirty years until his retirement in 2008.
Beginning in 1977, the Rock County Senior Citizen Nutrition Program,
known as the Golden Diners, used St John’s kitchen and Friendship Hall to
serve meals to senior citizens. Phyllis Haugen served as the coordinator for the
program until her retirement in 2003. The church building has served as a
meeting place for many other community groups over the years, such as Al-
Anon, TOPS, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Spotlight on Kids, farmer’s co-ops, a day
school for the Janesville School District, the GIFTS Men’s Shelter, and the dis-
tribution site for the ECHO School Supply and Christmas Toy Drives. The
ECHO Community Dinner is served here on the last Saturday of each month.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
1979 “Lutheran Book of Worship”
introduced
Cambodian Family of thirteen is
sponsored by St John
1980—90th Anniversary!
1990—100th Anniversary!
1964 Church mortgage burned
on April 12, 1981
500th Anniversary of Luther’s
birth
St John Lutheran Church
Foundation formed
Century Project
Timeline
In 1979, the green “Lutheran Book of Worship” (LBW) was
introduced to the congregation. It replaced the red “Service Book and Hymnal”,
which had been used since 1959. In 1995, the blue book of worship titled, “With
One Voice” was added to our resources. In 2006, the green “Lutheran Book of
Worship” was replaced with a cranberry red service book, titled “Evangelical
Lutheran Worship”, which is currently in use.
Beginning in 1979, our church sponsored a Cambodian family of thir-
teen. On July 30, 1979 the family arrived in Janesville from a refugee camp in
Thailand, which had been their home for four years. The family consisted of
four sisters, their husbands and children, a 14- year old girl and their 59-year
old mother. They were brought here under the auspices of LIRS (Lutheran Im-
migration Refugee Service) and taken under the wing of St John Lutheran
Church, our pastor Ed Paape, and sponsors, Ronald and Sandra Skildum.
They were housed in the parsonage next to the church until they were able to
support themselves. At present, two families live in the state of Oregon, where
there is a large community of Cambodians and the remaining two families live
here in Janesville.
In 1980, the congregation held a celebration for its 90th anniversary,
and, in 1990 a large celebration for its’ 100th anniversary. One of the highlights
of the 100th anniversary celebration was an aerial photograph of the members
of the congregation standing in front of the building to form the number “100”.
On April 12, 1981, Palm Sunday, a ceremony was held to burn the
mortgage on the church. The same year, the upper parking lot entrances to the
church and the educational unit were enclosed for energy conservation.
On Reformation Sunday, 1983, Pastor Paape dressed as Martin Luther
and nailed 95 theses to the church door. Other members dressed as friends
and relatives of Luther as part of a service honoring the 500th anniversary of
Luther’s birth.
The St. John Lutheran Church Foundation was formed in 1983. Its purpose is
to provide a structure for the financial support of the church, which allows for the
undertaking of major projects and benevolences that cannot be financed
through the regular church budget.
In 1986, the Century Project took place, which involved the reconstruction of
the outside walls of the educational unit, the installation of an elevator running
from Friendship Hall to the narthex, the purchase of a van to transport shut-ins
and youth, and the air conditioning of the nave.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
1987—St John joins the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America
2009—Major Restoration and
updating of the Pipe Organ
2012—Projector System added
to Worship Space
2014—Documentation of our
worship space art for Valparaiso
University
St John has a reputation for
hospitality to our entire
community
Timeline
On January 1, 1987, St John became part of a new synod, the Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA. The new synod consists of the for-
mer American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church in America, and American
Evangelical Lutheran Church, and is the largest Lutheran synod in America.
In 1991, members of the congregation donated money to purchase hand bells
for the formation of a hand bell choir. The choir was called “The Chapel
Chimes” and grace us with their music until 2005.
In 2009, the 1964 Verlinden pipe organ was in need of major repairs and up-
dates at a cost in excess of $100,000. A commitment was made by the Saint
John Lutheran Foundation and from an anonymous donor . The remainder was
funded through member contributions and memorial bequests.
In 2009, the Janesville School district rented the lower floor of the educational
building for a charter school called the CRES Academy. They were here until
2011.
In 2012, a computer, video projector, and projection screen were in-
stalled in the sanctuary, so that members of the congregation could follow the
order of the service and musical lyrics on a screen mounted in the front of the
sanctuary.
In 2014, we were visited by archivists, who documented the carvings which decorate our sanctuary. The carvings are the work of the reknown artist, Ernst Schwidder. Photographs of our sanctuary art and the original paraments, which were also designed by Mr. Schwidder, will be archived at Valparaiso Uni-versity in a collection of Mr. Schwidder’s work. In his career, he designed the interior art for over 300 churches in the United States.
St. John Lutheran Church is active in ministry to the community
through participation in such programs as ECHO, ECHO Community Meals,
ECHO Christmas in July, GIFTS Men Shelter, Meals on Wheels, Crop Walk, Al-
Anon meetings, ECHO School Supply Drive, ECHO Christmas Toy Distribution,
Red Cross Blood Mobile, Radio License testing for Ham Radio (ARRL), REACT
Radio Group meetings, Shoe cutting for overseas, Malaria Campaign, Sunday
Service TV broadcast, Extended Care (sends cards to home bound members),
collecting used medicine containers for Health Net, 16:49 Project for Homeless
Teenagers.
St. John is also active within our congregation. We do Hanging of the
Greens at Christmas, the Women of the Church make layettes, personal hy-
giene, and school kits, and quilts for Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and local
area charities. We have soup lunches before Lenten services, Easter Breakfast
on Easter Sunday, OktoberFest in the fall, a Fourth of July Picnic, Outdoor Wor-
ship Services during the summer, and Women’s Bible Study Groups. There is
a Prayer Shawl Group, which meets monthly to make Prayer Shawls to distrib-
ute to people who are sick, shut-in or need comfort.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
PASTOR GEORGE A.
KAEMFPLEIN
1890 - 1898
PASTOR PAUL WERTH
1898 -1909
PASTOR SIGMUND
FUCHS 1909 — 1925
PASTOR AMOS
ZEILINGER 1925 — 1929
PASTOR JOHN KEISER
1929 — 1940
PASTOR GOTTFRIED
HERBENER 1940 — 1944
PASTORS
Our Pastors
The men and women who have led us through a century of change and growth.
Pastor George
Kaemfplein
Pastor Paul Werth
Pastor Sigmund
Fuchs
Pastor Amos
Zeilinger Pastor John Keiser
Pastor Gottfried
Herbener
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
PASTOR HERBERT
MILUIS
1944—1956
PASTOR ARLIN ADAMS
1956—1961
PASTOR L. DONALD
DOCKEN 1962—1974
PASTOR CHRISTIAN
QUELLO 1974—1977
PASTOR EDWARD PAAPE
1978—1988
PASTOR JEFFREY WILD
1989—2000
PASTORS
Our Pastors
The men and women who have led us through a century of change and growth.
Pastor
Herbert Milius Pastor Arlin Adams
Pastor Donald Docken
Pastor Christian
Quello Pastor Edward
Paape
Pastor Jeffery Wild
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
PASTOR JUDITH
HUSETH 2001—2006
PASTOR BOND
HALDEMAN
2006—PRESENT
PASTORS
Our Pastors
The men and women who have led us through a century of change and growth.
Pastor
Judith Huseth Pastor Bond
Haldeman
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
PASTOR IRVIN SUBY
1965—1969
PASTOR PASTOR E. G.
BURTNESS 1969—1989
PASTOR JEROME
PRIBBENOW 1980
PASTOR RALPH
SANDGREN 2000—2001
PASTOR REBECCA
ROSSOW 2003—2004
PASTOR ROY POLTROCK
2004—2006
PASTOR DAVID
NELSESTUEN
2011—PRESENT
VISITATION PASTORS
Our Pastors
Pastor
Irvin Suby
Pastor E. G.
Burtness Pastor Jerome
Pribbenow
Pastor Ralph
Sandgren
Pastor Rebecca
Rossow
Pastor Roy Poltrock
Pastor David
Nelsestuen
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
PASTOR ELLIOTT HULL
1973—1975
PASTOR JOHN HILBERT
1975—1976
PASTOR JIM DAVIS
1977- - 1980
PASTOR MICHAEL
WONDERLICH 1980
PASTOR DAVID
FREDERICKSON
1980 - 1983
PASTOR JEFF WILD
1984—1989
PASTOR GLENN
BERG-MOBERG
1989—2001
PASTOR BRIAN ROSSOW
2002—2005
ASSOCIATE PASTORS
Our Pastors
Pastor
Elliot Hull
Pastor John Hilbert Pastor Jim Davis
Pastor David
Frederickson
Pastor Jeff Wild Pastor Glenn
Berg-Moberg
Pastor Brian Rossow
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Our Buildings—1890 CONNECTING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES YOU NEED
Interior of 1890 Church, note the relief carving behind the altar and
the crucifix given as a gift from St Mary’s Church.
TE
Photos of the 1890 Church taken by Pastor Fuchs, notice the wall of the
1913 Church under construction next to the first church.
Dedicated September 13, 1890.
The First Church
1890-1913
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Our Buildings—1913
The Second Church 1913—1964
TEC
HN
The 1913 Church shortly after its completion.
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
The Third Church
1964—Present
Our Buildings—1964—Present
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Our People CONNECTING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES YOU NEED
flexible solutions for your business needs
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
Our Future
The Next 125 years begins…….
This book is dedicated
to the countless men and women who, through their faith, generosity,
compassion, devotion and dedication, formed the congregation that today is known as St John Lutheran Church.
The gift of faith,
which they have passed on to us, is a priceless heritage.
We thank them for everything that has brought us to this day,
one hundred and twenty-five years later.
St John Lutheran Church 302 N . Parker Drive, Janesville, Wisconsin 53545
608-752-3159
Blessed for 125 Years: Honoring the Past, Looking toward the Future.
We thank you, Lord God,
for brave and believing people
who planted your message
in this place. We praise you
for the gift of your Holy Spirit,
who worked in them
to gather and give order
to this community,
and who still sustains it.
Remembering all those
who have gone before us,
we pray that
we may follow as they followed,
in the way, the truth , and the life,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.