“JUST LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND!”
Sister and Brothers in Christ,
“COME TO ME, ALL YOU LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT!” Matthew 11:28-30
As we all consider this year ending, are there things you would like to let go of and leave behind? Find a quiet moment to ask God about this and make a note of what you discover. I did this task myself over a few days listing and I was amazed at all that I would like to leave behind.
If you aren’t sure what to leave behind, use this list as a guide and see if anything stands out to you:
Are you struggling with your life and having no purpose? Struggling with thinking you are worthless, unknown, unprotected, a failure, damaged, not capable of anything, and the list goes on and on.
These are all the things and many more that I encourage you to leave behind! If you are dealing with any of these, know that freedom is available. God has greater things in store for you. Please continue to pursue healing in the new year of 2026…I guarantee you won’t regret it.
As you review this list, as well as your list, ask the Lord if there is anyone you need to forgive. If someone comes to mind, go ahead and speak out forgiveness. You don’t need to wait until the feelings are there in order to forgive. Go ahead and speak it out, as an act of letting go.
Take time to review all those things you wish to leave behind in 2026. Be direct with them…don’t try to ignore or cover them over. As you are able, let yourself dream with God and accomplish new beginnings.
If you aren’t sure what to receive and take hold of in 2026…begin with the following:
Believe you are good enough because God created you…that all things are possible. You have to keep dreaming as to how and where God is leading you…that you can do all things with God…that you are a loved and forgiven child of God…you have the power of the Holy Spirit in, with and through you always.
Know that you belong, you are valuable, you are known, and you are free to be God’s amazing gift to the world. I have written this sample prayer to use as a guide for your time with God, but this is only to get you started.
“LORD, I NO LONGER WISH TO CARRY _______________. I CHOOSE TO LET IT GO AND LEAVE IT BEHIND SO THAT I AM ABLE TO RECEIVE ________________ FOR THIS NEW YEAR. I REPENT FOR ANYTHING I HAVE BEEN BELIEVING WHICH HAS LED ME TO NEEDLESSLY CARRY HEAVY BURDENS IN 2025. I CHOOSE TO FORGIVE AND RELEASE THROSE THINGS, AND TO RECEIVE ALL THAT YOU HAVE FOR ME IN 2026, INCLUDING __________________. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACE, LOVE AND MERCY. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME LIVE IN FREEDOM, PEACE, AND JOY. I COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH THE TRUTH OF MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST, AND I SUBMIT ALL MY THOUGHTS TO OBEDIENCE IN CHRIST. THANK YOU, JESUS!” AMEN!
I hope this devotional blesses you and inspires you to spend time with God and receive the love and help He has for you. This year, make it a regular exercise to release, forgive, and receive all that God desires for you. May you experience the greatness of the lord each and every day! HAPPY NEW YEAR AND BLESSINGS ALWAYS!
New Year Blessings and prayers,
Pastor Jack, Interim
St. John’s JANUARY CALENDAR of EVENTS
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17
Online Church Service on Facebook:
If you follow our Facebook page you should receive a notification of a "Live" video starting. No login information will be required. The Facebook page is St. John's Lutheran Church of Red House, MD. If you can’t join us in person, we hope you can connect with us via Facebook anytime!
Wednesday, December 24 Christmas Eve Service
5:00 pm All are welcome to join us for our family traditional Communion and Candle Lighting Christmas Eve Service led by Pastor Jack. Bring your friends and family!
Thursday, December 25 Christmas Day – Happy Birthday Jesus!
Sunday, December 28 The First Sunday of Christmas
9:30 am Communion Worship Service led by Pastor Jack in person or via Facebook.
Acolyte: Youth Lector: Lisa Skipper
Following service, plan to stay for the 12 Days of Christmas Celebration! Everyone is invited to bring a wrapped gift for a white elephant gift exchange. Re-gift a bad Christmas gift, a joke gift or whatever you like. Kids bring a kids gift, adults bring an adult gift. ....and each family brings a dessert. Pastor Jack is also providing prizes for an UGLY Sweater Contest! Pizza will be provided for lunch! You don't want to miss this fun celebration!
Thursday, January 1 Happy New Year 2026!
Sunday, January 4 2nd Sunday After Christmas
9:30 am Communion Worship Service led by Pastor Jack in person or via Facebook.
Acolyte: Youth Lector: Savannah Arnett
10:30 am Youth Sunday School upstairs & WITNESS 101 Adult Bible Class in the social room
Tuesday, January 6 The Epiphany of Our Lord
Christmas on December 25 and the Epiphany on January 6. Christians believe that the 12 days of Christmas mark the amount of time it took after the birth of Jesus for the magi, or wise men, to travel to Bethlehem for the Epiphany when they recognized him as the Son of God.
Wednesday, January 7
6 pm Council meeting in the upstairs Sunday School room.
Thursday, January 8
6 pm Come out to help take down the Christmas decorations.
Sunday, January 11 1st Sunday after the Epiphany – The Baptism of Our Lord
9:30 am Communion Worship Service led by Pastor Jack in person or via Facebook.
Acolyte: Youth Lector: Kathy Cline
10:30 am Youth Sunday School upstairs & WITNESS 101 Adult Bible Class in the social room
Monday, January 12
6 pm Call Committee in the Social Room.
Thursday, January 15 News Notes Due
Sunday, January 18 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
9:30 am Communion Worship Service led by Pastor Jack in person or via Facebook.
Acolyte: Youth Lector: Josh Adams
10:30 am Youth Sunday School upstairs & WITNESS 101 Adult Bible Class in the social room
Monday, January 19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Sunday, January 25 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
9:30 am Communion Worship Service led by Pastor Jack in person or via Facebook.
Acolyte: Youth Lector: Levi Lantz
10:30 am Youth Sunday School upstairs & WITNESS 101 Adult Bible Class in the social room
Following Bible Class, join the Dessert Club for fellowship, food, and laughs, bring a finger food snack to share, help plan upcoming church events and enjoy each other’s Christian fellowship. We hope to see you there!
Greeter & Usher Coordinator: Pat Adams
Communion Assistants; & Offering Assignments: Crystal Boone & Savannah Arnett
Flowers, Bulletins & Candles for January
Note: Until further notice… We continue to use our church artificial arrangements, but we want to note the following loved ones that the flowers are to be donated in memory or honor of:
4th Kathy Ridder and Bonnie & Mel Turner - The Poinsettias on the altar are given to the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Baity & Florence Ridder, L. T. & Harriett Farmer and Ken & Alice Ann Ridder by Kathy Ridder and Bonnie & Mel Turner.
11th Pat Rolf and Lois Dolan - The altar flowers are given to the Glory of God and in memory of our mom, Claudine (Granny) Calhoun by Pat Rolf and Lois Dolan.
The bulletins and Eternal Candle are given to the Glory of God and in Memory of the birthday of Rod McWilliams by Margie McWilliams
18th Helen Roth - The altar flowers are given to the Glory of God and in memory of Sam Roth by Helen.
25th St. John’s Family - The altar flowers are given to the Glory of God and in honor of Pastor Jack's birthday by the members of St. John's.
Reminder: The altar flowers are $25.00 for the two vases. Please make a check payable to St. John’s Lutheran Church and put it in the offering plate with your name and Sunday date you had the altar flowers. You can also mail the payment to the church at 3301 Garrett Highway, Oakland, MD 21550. The bulletins are $7.00 per Sunday and the Eternal Candle is $7.00 per Sunday. We wish to extend a “thank you” to everyone who participates in these projects.
Altar Flowers for 2026: Please let Arlene Lantz, alantz.4h@gmail.com or 240-321-8205 (evenings) know of any changes you would like to make to the list. September 6, 2026 is open for flowers and multiple openings for the bulletins and eternal candle if others would like to donate flowers, bulletins, or the eternal candle in honor or in memory of loved ones.
Jesus, thank you for the gift of a new year – a fresh start. Give me faith to know that no matter what last year looked like, you’re still with me and you’re still for me. I thank you for the new thing you’re doing and the path you’ve set before me. Help me to walk with you in 2026.
NEWS NOTES
Council Updates:
Please NOTE: Pastor Jack will be traveling back to Tampa from January 16-30. May God grant him safe travels, beautiful weather, and fun times! Please contact Crystal Boone, Council President if you are in need of pastoral care during this time. Crystal can be reached at 304-704-4333. Please leave a message if she is not able to answer your call during working hours.
Council Updates:
-Give a Gift of Appreciated Stock: If you own publicly traded stocks that have grown in value, donating them can provide significant tax advantages while advancing our mission.
Why give stock?
-Avoid capital gains tax on appreciated value
-Receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value
-Make a generous gift without affecting your cash flow
If you’ve held the stock for more than a year, the benefits can be even greater. It’s a smart and impactful way to support the ministries you love while potentially reducing your tax burden. If you are interested in donating stock to St. John’s, please contact our treasurer, Steve Cosner.
-St. John’s Moves to Tithe.ly: Improved Efficiency and Communication
In an effort to be more cost-efficient, St. John’s has partnered with Tithe.ly to consolidate many of the services that previously required multiple vendors. As an ELCA Congregation, we benefit from
discounted pricing for these services. Below is an overview of the upcoming changes and how they will affect our congregation.
-New Website: We are excited to announce our new website:
stjohnsredhouse.com
Please take a moment to visit and bookmark the site. The website features an updated calendar and will host copies of our newsletter under the “News” tab. Although the site is still being developed, it already contains a wealth of information for members and visitors.
-App Access: In addition to the website, we now have an app that provides a streamlined version of the site. The app allows us to create a prayer group, access the giving platform, and potentially send text messages more efficiently. To get started, visit tithely.app.link/stjohnsredhouse, download the app, and sign up for St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Red House MD. Please note that this feature is still a work in progress.
-Messaging and Email Alerts: We will be transitioning to Tithe.ly for all messaging and email alerts. If you have not yet completed an information form, please do so and return it to Steve at the church, email it to info@sjlcrh.com, or mail it to the church. The form allows you to specify your preferred method of contact—email or text. Email communications are free, while we are allotted a limited number of free texts each month unless sent through the app.
-Offering Records and Reports: Starting in January, we will maintain more detailed records of your giving, enabling us to provide better year-end reports. If you primarily use checks or Tithe.ly for offerings, your report for 2025 will be available. Please be assured that only the treasurer can view these reports when they are generated. If you need a financial report at any time, contact Steve. Reports will be sent via email if provided; otherwise, they will be available in your mailbox or mailed directly to you.
-Tithe.ly for Online Giving: Tithe.ly offers a secure way to make one-time or recurring donations to the church. You can start giving through the link on Facebook, the website, or the app. Note that a small transaction fee is added to each donation, which you can choose to cover or have deducted from your offering. Increasingly, congregation members are opting for this convenient giving method.
-Newsletter Distribution Changes: Due to rising costs, the Council has decided that this will be the last newsletter sent via bulk mail. However, you can still receive the newsletter by signing up for email delivery on the website, stjohnsredhouse.com—simply scroll to the bottom of the web page and enter your information. This will give you immediate access to the newsletter as soon as it is published, along with other important updates throughout the month. For those without email access, a limited number of printed copies will be available at church or delivered to you. If you reside outside the area and require a hard copy, please complete the relevant section of the information form and send it to the church. An annual donation of $25 is suggested to help cover costs, but this is not mandatory. Alternatively, you may call the office at 301-334-4778 and leave a message regarding your newsletter preference.
-Summary and Next Steps: We recognize that these changes represent a significant adjustment, but they are aimed at being better stewards of our finances. These measures will save the church a substantial amount of money while improving the services and communication available to our congregation.
-Information Form:
Please return the completed form to the church by placing it in Steve’s mailbox, emailing it to
info@sjlcrh.com, or mailing it to: 3301 Garrett Hwy, Oakland, MD 21550.
Name: _________________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________________________________
Phone number: ________________________________
Email address: ___________________________
Birthdate: _______________________________
Baptism Date: ____________________________
Confirmation Date: ________________________
Permission to contact with timely messages (activities/prayer requests): Yes ____ No _____
Preferred method of contact: Email _______ Text _________
Need help signing up for an email newsletter? Yes ____ No _____
Need a hard copy of the newsletter?
Yes, I can pick it up during the service ________
Yes, please mail it to me _________
Interested in assistance signing up for these changes (at church or after Bible Study)? Yes _______
St. John’s Facebook site: www.facebook.com/stjohnsredhouse
Save the Dates:
-Dec. 28 - 12 Days of Christmas Celebration
-Feb. 15 - BINGO & Ice Cream Social
-May 16 - Chicken Burn Dinner & Bake & Yard Sale
-July 24-25 - Horizon School Dinner Theater at PVCC
-Aug. 15 - The Summer’s Last Sizzle
Get Well Wishes - Our love and continued prayers for Allen Strawser who continues his recovery and for Beck Sherrard and Susan Baker who are battling cancer. Prayers for Gabbie Lantz who is recovering from foot surgery…and to Diane Donham who is recovering from a fractured wrist from a car accident. May God bless and keep all of our loved ones in his care.
Sympathy - to the family and friends of Thomas Jackson, 70, of Oakland, who passed away on November 22, 2025. Tom was the brother-in-law of Darlene Jackson.… to the family and friends of Jeff Lewis, 55, of Oakland, who passed away on December 2, 2025, at his home surrounded by his family. A memorial service was held on December 6, 2025, at the funeral home…. to the family and friends of David Terlizzi, 86, of Oakland, who passed away peacefully on December 10, 2025.. A memorial service was held on December 14, 2025, at the funeral home…..to the family and friends of Mary Jane Gnegy, 88, of Oakland who died on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at Cortland Acres Nursing Home in Thomas, WV. Mary Jane was a faithful member of St. John’s. She served on the church council, taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, was active with the Adult Fellowship, led the music and worship committee, and shared her tremendous talent as one of the church's organists for over 60 years. She was also an officer of The Red House Lutheran Cemetery Association. Mary Jane generously donated her time and talents in so many ways like sewing choir robes and making church banners. Her funeral service was at St. John’s and interment in the Red House Lutheran Cemetery.….and to the friends and family of our lifetime member Ethel Cosner (obituary not available at this time). May God grant these families comfort and peace and bless them in the coming days.
Thanks – to those that turned out to beautifully decorate the church for Christmas… to Diane and Randy Donham who assembled and put up the beautiful outdoor Nativity… to Steve Cosner for working with Chase Sisler to get the new computer system up and going.
Cemetery Notes: Please make your check payable to the Red House Lutheran Cemetery Association, in making a donation towards the upkeep and care of the cemetery or in memory of a loved one. You may mail it to St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church attention of the Cemetery Association. All donations are appreciated to keep the cemetery in tip-top shape.
2025 Tax Receipt – If you would like a tax receipt for your 2025 offering/donations, please contact Steve Cosner at stevecosner03@gmail.com or put a note in his mailbox at church.
CHRIST IN OUR HOME– Copies of the daily devotional ‘Christ in Our Home’ are available in the vestibule for January, February, and March. Please take a copy and give one to a shut-in for their reading enjoyment. This is a publication of the ELCA, which relates to the scriptures for each week.
POP TABS: Are you continuing to save your aluminum pop tabs? Remember, this is an on going project for the Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown. There is a box in the narthex to place them in throughout the year. Thanks a million!
"HILL TOP BEACON" If you have any news items you wish to place in the monthly newsletter or if your address has changed, please give the information to Arlene Lantz – alantz.4h@gmail.com -Phone (240) 321-8205 (evenings) or Lisa Skipper – mdskip4@aol.com. – Phone 301-616-2477.
BIRTHDAY CARD SHOWERS:
**Notice – if you know anyone turning 70 or older or celebrating 50 years or more of marriage this year that is not on our birthday/anniversary card shower list, please let Arlene or Lisa know so we can add you to the list!
January:
20 - Pastor Jack Palzer 3301 Garrett Highway, Oakland, MD 21550
February:
7 – Almeda Lipscomb 768 Horse Shoe Run Road, Eglon, WV 26716 86
19 – Millard Judy 1379 Maple Spring Hwy., – Eglon, WV 26716 90
SHUT-IN LIST below is a list of persons who would enjoy receiving a thinking-of-you card.
Helen Roth Cortland Acres -39 Cortland Acres Lane, Thomas, WV 26292
Janet Shaluta Dennett Road Manor Nursing Home - 1113 Mary Drive, Oakland, MD 21550
Jarrod Wolfe 11020 California Avenue, Apt. A, Cumberland, MD 21502
HOSPITAL ADDRESSES -
Garrett Regional Medical Center - 251 N, Fourth St., Oakland, MD 21550
Ruby Memorial Hospital - Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506
Monongalia General Hospital - 1200 J.D. Anderson Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505
Western MD Regional Medical Center – 12500 Willowbrook Rd. Cumberland, MD 21502
Nursing Home Addresses:
Cortland Acres -39 Cortland Acres Lane, Thomas, WV 26292
Dennett Road Manor Nursing Home - 1113 Mary Drive, Oakland, MD 21550
Oakland Nursing & Rehab Center – 706 East Alder Street, Oakland, MD 21550