What Does St. John’s Mean to You?
What does St. John’s mean to you?
This has been a question members of the confirmation class have been asking people around church. What’s your response?
For me, St. John’s has been that place that has supported, loved, and prayed for my family. St. John’s is where our son was baptized. St. John’s is where I feel alive. St. John’s is work and worship and so much more. How about you?
March, 2010
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St. John’s has been part of my family since I was little. I have formed long lasting relationships with Christian brothers and sisters. I love working, sharing and caring for others because of all God has done for me.
Saint John’s is everything to me. I became a Godparent at Saint John’s, I became a wife at Saint John’s. I’ve never ever felt a connection to the Church until I entered Saint John’s and met the people, especially Pastor Lee. Saint John’s means so much to me. I wish I didn’t live so far away so I could be more involved. Anytime I hear of any Saint John’s, let alone our Saint John’s – my heart fills with indescribable joy. Saint John’s is amazing.
St. Johns to me is love of family and friends, happy memories of my childrens childhood and teenage years,caring, joy and most of all PEACE. I may not get there as much as I would like to, but on Sunday mornings my thoughts are at St,John’s and in my minds eye I can see the sunshine coming through those beautiful windows!
St. Johns is a place that has welcomed my husband and our daughter. We felt like family from the very begining.. we love it at St. Johns…thank you pastor Lee and pastor tricia
I found St. John’s after years of being lost and wandering. St. John’s is an Oasis of warmth & love in a cold, dark and sometimes lonely world. Thanks be to God!
It was thge late 1940′s and when my family joined a small group of worshippers from a church that was moving to Mayfair. The church Sankt Johannis a Germam Lutheran church from N Philly. We worshipped in the old Mayfair theater while our new church (Saint John’s) was being built. I remember processing from the theater down Fkd avenue to the new church for our first worship service under Pastor Wm Brandt. What a glorious experience for a 13yr old.
In 1947 I was confirmed. Years of worshipping at St John’s followed. Jr Choir, Boy Scouts, Adult Choir, Substitute Organist, Sunday School.
Our family life centered on activities at our Saint John’s under Pastor Carl Weber. Mom and the choirs, Dad and the Church Council. Saint John’s became for us the standard upon which we compared other Lutheran churchs.
We experienced the joyous times and the tough times Should we complete the bell tower? Our parents and others put their financial future at risk in order to fund the completion of the bell tower to hold the bells from the old church. Worshipping at St John’s was an experience that molded us and prepared us for a deep belief in Christ and his promise. We became firm in the faith.
Withe the 60′s came changes in our lives. We moved, entered the navy, attended Temple. We left St John’s. Then we moved again and joined Faith Lutheran Church in Montgomeryville. Mom and Dad have gone home to Christ. I still remain a member at Faith.
But even with the physical changed evidenced in the photos and videos, St John’s will always feel like home, never forgotten and always loved.
I trust that Christ blesses the clergy, congregation and the fantastic ministry you extend to the world in
His name. A true undertaking of his great commandment.
“,,,go ye and teach all nations…”
In His Holy Name,
Ken Hildebrand, member 1946–1968.
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Thanks, Ken. What a great story of faith you have shared. It’s nice to still have you as a part of the family – and worker with us in the kingdom of God. Blessings you your community at Faith!
Pr. Lee
We moved to Philly from South Jersey in 1955. We lived in an apartment, second floor, about four units north of the Church on Tyson avenue. The landlords, an elderly Russian couple, lived downstairs. It was the era of “I Like Ike” buttons, Sputnik, and the cold war. For a six-year old at that time living above Russians was very disconcerting. My father was not a religious, church going man at the time, though he always subscribed to the basic principle of the Golden Rule and believed fervently in God and Country. Shortly after we moved in my mother took us to St. John’s for Sunday worship. My father met Pastor Weber for the first time, heard his sermon, and was immediately inspired and committed. A few months later at age six I was baptised there. I became part of St. John’s family and actively participated in Sunday school, Cub Scouts, and the various fellowship activities that the Church had to offer. I remmeber well the social events, banquets, and fundraisers we held in support of the construction of the new chapel on the lower end of the property. On Sundays we rushed to get to the Church early so that we could sit up front. My dad often said that Pastor Weber spoke directly to him in many of his sermons. I remember my father saying that Pastor Weber was the first clergyman who ever to spoke TO him and not AT him.
In 1957 my sister was married in the church and my brother was likewise in 1960. Both marriages were lifelong, ending only by the death of their spouses, who were coincidentally a brother and sister too.
One of my fondest memories of St. John’s was the Christmas Eve service. I was allowed to stay up late to attend the 11:00 PM service where we would sing all of the traditional Christmas songs. My mother had the voice, but my father and I sang out loud anyway. The singing was loud, joyous, and magnificent. I remember it to this day. Following the service we would hurry home, sometimes along a snow-covered sidewalk, where I would jump into bed and drift off to sleep listening for sounds of Santa on the roof.
Today I reside in Southern California and my spiritual path has had many twists and turns, some good – some not so good. But I always recall with great fondness my youth at St. John’s, full of innocence, hope, and faith. I’ve done my best to pass that spirit along to my own family and in this regard I believe I have had some success. I raised five children to adulthood and I am very proud of who, and what, they have become. I thank St. John’s for instilling in me my core beliefs of piety, respect for others, love of family and country, fellowship, and goodwill to all men.
I still have family in the area whom I plan to visit this Christmas. Perhaps I can visit the Church one more time.
hopeful that I can find info on my great grandparents’ marriage information. I hope I have the right Lutheran church. They were married around 1875.
I began my journey in faith at Wilkey Memorial located at H & Ontario Streets and schooled at Cedar Grove Christian Academy on Rising Sun Ave in Philadelphia.
When I was 2 I met a girl named Marnan Hauptman,her Father Fred was a Member of Wilkey at the time and was a Boyscout in my Grandfather’s troop previous to that, I later found out that he admired my Grandfather for the Christian man he exemplified himself as(you’ll see later why this was important)
Time went by and the girl I used to look at in the crib at Wilkey and called “Baby” and her family went away,seemingly never to be seen again.
I grew up in Wilkey ,all the while helping my Grandfather cut the lawns and doing the maintenance around the church until the time of it;s closing in the early 90′s,which was a very sad time seeing the place you grew to know the Lord fall from it’s foundings, but the members still meet together once a month to talk about the old times and the family feeling that was so strong there.
When I was 18 years old in 1988 a friend of mine (Jean Thomaselli)asked me if I wanted to come to a service with her at a place called Saint John’s, feeling as if I had just lost a home in Wilkey I figured maybe God was giving me a direction to go in to find a new place by his side,so I went.
When I got there I was more than impressed with the brickwork and care that was put into the sanctuary, and the warm family feeling that you get when you take part in the services..I thought I might have found a new home!!
A year or so went by and I went back for a few services here and there to keep my good sense with the Lord..My friends were outside hanging behind my house with my Brother when he came in and said”Bill, come outside and meet this girl that just came around, I think you might like her, and she could use your ability to pick her up”(she was sad about her current boyfriend)
So I went outside and introduced myself, she said her name was Marnan(I had no idea of our past at the time because I was 3 when I saw her last)I said “I’m Bill, it’s nice to meet you”(little did she know I was struck with her immediately)”My brother Sam says you are sad, what’s wrong”
She explained to me that her boyfriend was a jerk and was mistreating her.. We talked for a good portion of the night where I told her that she didn’t deserve to be treated as she was and that if she left him I was sure something better would come along, so she thanked me for the talk that she said made her feel better and invited me to her birthday party that was the following weekend, we left that evening with a hug.
The day of her birthday party I showed up with my long hair and jeans, so unimpressed were her parents that they probably didn’t even look at me, they only knew me that day as Bill. She was so disappointed by her boyfriends attitude and such that she walked up to me and said”Do you see what I mean, I can’t take it anymore” I said “Do you remember what I told you?” The party ended and we all went home, later I heard a knock on my door, it was her,, She said, crying”I broke up with him” I said “GOOD, Now why don’t you go out with me?” September 4th 1990 we began dating and my immediate nickname for her was “Babyface”.
A month or so went by when I went to her house to pick her up, I proceeded to say hello to her Mom and Dad, her Father said”What’s your name son” I said “Bill” he said “Bill What?” I said”Bill Harner”, her Mother said “OH MY LORD!!, is your Grandfather Bill Heinz?” I said”yes Maam he is.” She proceeded to tell me how I used to call her Baby in Wilkey, and how our families have been associated.
WE were married in St. John’s Church on October 7, 1994 in one of the most beautiful candlelight services anyone has ever seen and we created a family among the family that exists there to this day.
I believe everything is for a reason and I thank the Good Lord for his reasons to bring me to Saint John’s and to give me a place to serve him as I have my whole life…
Thank You Lord, and Thank You Saint John’s
If you are still seeking this information, we can try for you – please email as much information as you have about your grandparents’ marriage (name, date, address where they lived at the time, and I will try to look for you. Please email us at stjohnsthenet@verizon.net. Peace.
Quick Info
Philadelphia, PA 19149
215.624.5505
stjohnsmayfair@verizon.net
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