The Younger Adult Bible Class
In 1959 as the young couples of the congregation grew in number, a group of young married's who began as a Sunday School Class organized an auxiliary organization to meet monthly for fellowship. Originally called the Younger Adult Bible Class, it later changed its name to the"Koinonia Class".
Officers chosen for this new organization were:
Paul Gutridge - President and teacher
Mrs. Franklin Ice (Sharon) - Secretary
Mrs. Bernard Spitzer (Carol) - Treasurer
Two of the first activities were the "Mother / Daughter Banquet" and the annual "Ice Cream Social" which continues to this day every summer. There were "Turkey Dinners" and "Oyster Fries" fund raisers such as serving food at local farm sales, of which all proceeds went to improve our church. They also became involved in outreach projects such as monthly songfests and visits to the County Home.
In 1966 the class became active in promoting plans for improvements to be made on the church
auditorium and the construction of a parish hall at the rear of the building. This class was the primary source of all donated labor and materials as well as raising most of the funds needed for the project.
As the children grew older and left home and the membership of the church continued to grow, in 1976 the class disbanded as such although all members continued to attend all social functions and participate actively in the leadership and projects of St. John's.
The Lutheran Church Women
Early in 1906 the Pastor, Milton E. Bollinger, invited the women of the congregation and community to meet with Miss Helen Beagle, President of the Synodical Missionary Society, for the purpose of organizing a Home and Foreign Missionary Society in the church.
Following her visit, on February 22, 1906, the proposed Society was organized with ten young women signing the charter. Those ten women were: Mrs. Bedford Drumm (First President), Mrs. Frank Osburn, Mrs. Dora Dusthimer, Mrs. Byron Dusthimer, Mrs. William Marshall, Mrs. William Motherspaw, Mrs James Taylor, Mrs. Perry Woolard (Mable Wolfe), Miss Margaret Taylor and Miss Lousina Swisher. The first monthly meeting of the newly organized society was held in the home of Miss Lousina Swisher on the first Thursday of March 1906. At that meeting Mrs. Minnie Dumm was elected president and served in that office for seven years.
The Society which would later become The Lutheran Church women continued to meet monthly, involved in many activities in the surrounding community such as World Day of Prayer observance, often hosting such a gathering at St. John's. The members led worship services, supported missionary work through the national church, raised funds for the purchase of many appliances and equipment in the church kitchen, and until its disbanding in the late1970's due to the lack of active membership, contributed greatly to the life of St. John's congregation.
