The Cactus & The Cross Blog

What is Shrove Tuesday? The simple answer is—the day before Ash Wednesday. It is sometimes called—Fat Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, or Mardi Gras. Why eat Pancakes?  Pancakes were an easy way for Christians to use up their milk, eggs, and sugar before the 40 days of Lent (and fasting) started the next day—Ash Wednesday. What do I need to bring?  Nothing, except an appetite! Come and make a new friend!! Donations are accepted and will go toward camp scholarships for our children a

St. John’s chili supper and basket raffle will be on Saturday, February 14th from 3-5 p.m. and we need your help.  The Fellowship Committee collected a variety of baskets of differing sizes. If you have any baskets you want to donate, please drop them off either on the Narthex table or at the church office. Next, we need your help in filling the baskets.  On Sunday, January 11th  a table of baskets was placed in the Narthex and office area. The Fellowship Committee is asking

How would you describe “a Christian Community”? I ask because I’ve been reminded again how fragile relationships are. I often assume that because we’ve worked side by side for years, discussed weighty topics, and share joys and sorrows that we have strong relationships. But then, something happens, and I discover that the relationships aren’t strong at all, but so easily fractured by hasty words, misunderstandings, or pettiness. It reminds me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, L

West Valley Lutheran Thrift Shop Hours of Operation Monday through Friday  9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. West Valley Lutheran Thrift Shop 10615 West Peoria Ave, Sun City http://www.wvlutheranthrift.com/ --623-815-7061-- Hours of Operation Monday through Saturday  9:00 am to 3:00 pm Make a New Year’s Resolution That Truly Makes a Difference in 2026! As we prepare to welcome a new year, many of us are thinking about resolutions—opportunities to reset,

The New Year is a traditional time to reset and recenter. If there’s any good that comes out of New Year’s resolutions, it is the spiritual recentering on God and God’s desires for us. Of course, it’s a good thing to start a new discipline of exercise or diet, but these will be shallow if not rooted in God’s desires for us. God always desires us to grow as disciples of Jesus. In God’s eyes, we aren’t so much “members of St. John’s” but “members of the body of Christ.” We are

As we draw near to one of the most meaningful seasons of the year, we invite you—and those you love—to join us in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether you prefer the warm glow of candlelight in our Sanctuary or the convenience of worshiping from home, we have services designed to help you enter the peace, beauty, and wonder of Christmas. ✨ Christmas Eve – Wednesday, December 24 This year we’re offering three candlelight Christmas Eve services  so you can choose the

By Pastor Dan Potaznick, Associate Pastor for Outreach This summer at St. John's, something remarkable happened. When Phoenix hit 118 degrees on July 9th, breaking a record from 1958, we kept our doors open. For 117 days from May through October, we served 3,568 neighbors seeking relief from deadly heat. We welcomed 598 pets too, because no one should choose between safety and their companion. But we offered more than air conditioning. Working with Arizona Faith Network and c

Community of St. John’s,  I hope this finds you well! I wanted to share some exciting updates about our growing family and express our heartfelt gratitude for your support. First, some good news: Randi's pregnancy is going super well! We're so grateful for a healthy baby and a healthy mama. As you may know, our little one has earned herself quite the nickname – we call her "Hiccup" because she was hiccuping away the very first time we heard her heartbeat. It was the sweetest

God has blessed St John’s with fantastic partners in the Gospel: Emmanuel Sudanese Lutheran Fellowship and Vida Nueva Lutheran Church! We’ll be meeting for a combined worship & picnic on Sunday Nov 2 at 11am. We will sing and worship in English, Dinka, and Spanish! We will eat and play and laugh together. It is a preview of heaven: all the saints from every tribe, language, people and nation who have been set free by Jesus from Sin, Death, and the Devil (Rev 5:9)!           H

All are invited to Rally Sunday in our church courtyard Sunday, August 17 at 9:30 am!