We are the church that shares a living, 

daring confidence in God’s grace.  Learn more...


We are the church 

that rolls up our sleeves and 

gets to work.  Learn more...


You are welcome here...

For over two centuries, people have gathered on this small hill to worship and praise the Lord.  Though many changes have taken place in the congregation, in the neighborhood and in the world, we remain committed to actively worshiping and serving our Lord Jesus Christ at St. John Center Lutheran Church.

If you are passionate about discerning your gifts for ministry and finding ways to use them, the members at St. John Center Lutheran open their hands in welcome to you.  

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Worship services are offered each Sunday at 10:15 am in the sanctuary on the upper level of the church.

Holy Communion is celebrated the first Sunday of each month,

all Festival Sundays and weekly during Advent and Lent.

The sanctuary is air conditioned and handicapped accessible by chairlift.

​Restrooms on the lower level of the church are not accessible by wheelchair.

Handicapped accessible restrooms are available in the Fellowship Hall.

Little One's Sunday School is offered each Sunday.  Children will be gathered prior to the Sermon

and their time together will end at the conclusion of Worship.

Staffed nursery is available.

Join us this Sunday as we do God's work 

in Christ's name for the life of the world.

This Sunday - Palm Sunday, the Church celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. For those who participated in this event, they saw their messiah entering the holy city to claim his place of power and to reinstate the Davidic dynasty of kings. In our readings of the Passion narrative, we see a different model of kingship, kingship that is built on serving downward and outward not a kingship built on being served by those who are on the margins of society. As we prepare to enter Holy Week and the journey of Jesus to Golgotha and the cross, let us ponder how we can model Jesus’ call to be a servant to all.

Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.

Last week, we began a three-week sermon series on the Temptations of Jesus using the texts of Matthew & Luke. In the first temptation, Jesus was challenged on his ability to turn ordinary stones into loaves of bread and we were asked to think about our anxiety of being unfulfilled. This week, Satan ups the ante by taking Jesus to the highest point of the Temple in Jerusalem and asks Jesus to trust that God will rescue him when he jumps off. In this temptation, Satan is challenging Jesus’ certainty about many things not the least of which is God’s promise of deliverance.


Click here for more about This Week's worship at SJCL

Vacation Bible School

"Jesus, the Good Shepherd"

July 16-20, 2018

6:30 - 8:00 pm

Children ages 3 -13

Friday - hot dogs and ice cream for everyone!

Registration forms available on table outside the church office.

Call Jodi at 717-445-7061 for more information.

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2018 Music in the Grove

A celebration of Blue Grass Gospel Music and summer evenings!

SUN JUN 17

6:00 pm - Heart and Soul


SUN JUN 24

6:00 pm - Chestnut Ridge


SUN JUL 1

6:00 pm - Horst Brothers


SUN JUL 8

6:00 pm - Sunnyside


SUN JUL 15

6:00 pm - Summit Hill


SUN JUL 22

6:00 pm - Bobby Hamm and Bluegrass Brothers


SUN JUL 29

6:00 pm - Amazing Grass


SUN AUG 5

6:00 pm - Potter's Clay and Pine Ridge Ramblers


SUN AUG 12

6:00 pm - New Found Grass


SUN AUG 19

6:00 pm - Remington Ride


Summer Lunches for the Kids !

Many families in the Eastern Lancaster County School District who received free, or reduced, lunches during the school year do not have the resources to provide their children a nutritious lunch in the summer. To offset this need, CrossNet Ministries and volunteers prepare and distribute bagged lunches to locations in the school district every day during the summer.


The location closest to SJCL is is at ELANCO Dove Fellowship's Garage Door Skate Park in Terre Hill.

The Terre Hill/Bowmansville Ministerium churches have been asked to take a week or two to help distribute these bagged lunches. 


 SJCL has the weeks of July 9-13 and August 6-10 and we need two volunteers for each day. The lunches are delivered around 10:45 am to ELCANO Dove and distributed from 11:00 am to about 11:45 am.


See Vicar Mark for more details or to volunteer.

Upcoming Events

Happenings you shouldn't miss in the weeks ahead.

Tues

Jun 19

LWR Quilting at St. Paul, Adamstown

9:00 am - 3:00 pm - Lunch provided

June 19, July 10, July 17, August 7, August 21, October 30, November 13

Sat

Jul 21

Reading Phillies Game with Fireworks

6:45 pm - Game Start

See sign up sheet on bulletin board in the Narthex for details on the pre-game mascot concert, Star Wars Tribute and available ticket packages.  Deadline to sign up is June 24th.

Sat

Jul 21

Reading Phillies Game with Fireworks

6:45 pm - Game Start

See sign up sheet on bulletin board in the Narthex for details on the pre-game mascot concert, Star Wars Tribute and available ticket packages.  Deadline to sign up is June 24th.

July 

9th - 13th

Summer Lunches for the Kids !

10:45 - 11:45 am - Elanco Dove Fellowship's Garage Door Skate Park in Terre Hill

Two volunteers needed to hand out lunches.

Aug

6th - 10th

Summer Lunches for the Kids !

10:45 - 11:45 am - Elanco Dove Fellowship's Garage Door Skate Park in Terre Hill

Two volunteers needed to hand out lunches.

Music Sunday 

was simply

WOW!

We are blessed because you shared your gifts of music, your time and your efforts.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you!

"SJCL Weekly"

Click here to subscribe to St. John Center's weekly e-mail, filled with current worship information and upcoming events.  Type the word "Subscribe" in the subject line.

​Inclement Weather

Unsure if Sunday School and/or worship services are cancelled due to inclement weather?  


Simply call the church office at 717.445.5505.  The voice mail message will be updated by 

8:00 am on the day in question.

Center Union Cemetery

Call Becky at 717.354.5560 for information regarding the cemetery.

What does the ELCA mean to you?

Words From Our Customers

We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.​

Martin Luther

© 2017  St. John Center Lutheran Church

[email protected]