St. John Lutheran Church-Pickerel, WI

St. John Lutheran Church-Pickerel, WI Join this small-town, welcoming church family with a big heart for growing in faith and our relationship with God. You’re always welcome here—come as you are!

We worship Sundays at 9 am. A Confessional Church of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

Today we were reminded through all of our readings that God welcomes outsiders and makes them family.We celebrated that ...
08/16/2026

Today we were reminded through all of our readings that God welcomes outsiders and makes them family.

We celebrated that truth by welcoming Callum through baptism and rejoicing as Callum, Michael, and John publicly confessed their faith in confirmation. During the baptism, Pastor Bo reminded us that God puts his name on us, that we belong to him, and that we are loved in his family because we trust in Jesus.

In the sermon from Matthew 15, we heard about the Canaanite woman who wouldn’t give up, even when things were silent or difficult. Her persistence and humility led Jesus to declare her faith great (one of two people in the Bible Jesus made that declaration about). The takeaway was clear: courageous faith hangs on to Jesus no matter what.

Pastor encouraged us, and especially the confirmands, to keep testing and strengthening their faith within the community, knowing that harder days will come, but Jesus is patient, forgiving, and always with us. He closed with the sobering witness of modern believers who stood firm in their faith, even at great cost, reminding us that courageous faith is still very real today.

Thanks be to God that He will not fail us, He is patient, forgiving and always with us! ❤️

07/27/2026

It was so great to have Pastor Bo back leading the congregation this morning & his message was great!!!

Nothing we face is new to God—and nothing we face can separate us from Him. ❤️

In today’s message, Pastor connected Psalm 44 with Paul’s words in Romans 8. Psalm 44 is a prayer of lament. God’s people are hurting, confused, and even questioning what God is doing. Yet they continue to cry out to Him.

That gives us our first takeaway: God has broad shoulders. We can bring Him our hurt, frustration, fear, questions—even our complaints. We have an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, and He can handle all of our emotions. He still loves us.

Paul actually quotes Psalm 44 in Romans 8: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” The struggles we experience today aren’t new. They are all found in Scripture, and even more importantly, none of them are new to God. We can trust His faithfulness.

And that leads to the second takeaway: God will never let anything come between us and Him.

Trouble? Hardship? Fear? Loss? The present? The future? Not even death.

Nothing.

Because of Jesus, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Whatever today brings, we have a God who has already conquered it all.

We can complain to Him. We can cry out to Him. We can question. We can struggle. But through it all, we can be absolutely certain of this: nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ❤️

07/26/2026

🌿 VBS starts TOMORROW-Monday, July 27th! 🌿

Join us Monday–Friday from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM for a week of fun, friends, and learning about Jesus! 💚

Can’t make it every day? That’s okay! Whether your kiddos can join us for one day or all five, we’d love to have them!

Then bring the whole family back Sunday at 9:00 AM for worship, where the kids can share some of what they learned throughout the week. ✝️

We can’t wait to hang out, have some fun, and learn about Jesus together at Emerald Crossing! 🌿🐑

07/19/2026

Remember to worship with us every Sunday at 9. We are so excited to have Pastor Bo leading worship next Sunday, July 26th. We hope you’ll join us to welcome him back for the day and celebrate the Lord’s Supper! ❤️

🌾 Premature Weeding 🌾

This morning, Elder Dave shared another wonderful message written by Pastor Bo based on Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43.

Sometimes we’re pretty quick to do a little “premature weeding”—looking at the people around us and deciding who is faithful enough, who belongs, or who is a “true” Christian. But Jesus reminds us that we cannot see into another person’s heart. Only God can. The final judgment belongs to Him, not to us.

So what is our job?

To live as His people. To bear good fruit. To share the blessing of being a child of God. To worship Him and tell others about Jesus.

And most importantly, to remember the incredible Good News: Jesus has done the work of salvation for us. Through His death and resurrection, we have forgiveness, life, and the promise of eternity with Him. We don’t have to spend our lives deciding who is wheat and who is weeds—we can fix our eyes on Jesus and trust Him with the harvest.

As Paul reminds us:

“Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Thank you, Pastor Bo, for another wonderful message, and thank you to Elder Dave for delivering it to us this morning. ❤️

Until the harvest, may we worry a little less about pulling weeds—and focus a little more on bearing fruit. 🌾✝️

07/14/2026

💚"Emerald Crossing VBS!" 💚

Join us at St. John for an unforgettable week of Vacation Bible School as we journey through the 23rd Psalm and discover that "the Lord is our Shepherd"—guiding, protecting, and loving us every step of the way.

📅 July 27–31 (Monday–Friday)
🕘 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

📅 August 2nd (Sunday) Worship
🕘 9:00 AM

During the week, your kids can look forward to:
✨ Exciting Bible lessons
🎵 Fun music and singing
🎨 Creative crafts
🎲 Games and activities
🍎 Snacks
💚 New friendships and lots of laughs!

Then, on Sunday, we'll wrap up our amazing week by celebrating during our morning worship service. We'd love for all of our VBS kids to help lead worship as they share the songs and joy they've experienced throughout the week!

Whether your child has been to VBS before or this will be their very first adventure, we'd love to have them join us. Bring your friends, neighbors, and cousins—we're hoping for a packed house and an incredible week of faith, fun, and fellowship!

🌈💚We can't wait to see you at Emerald Crossing VBS! 🌈💚

06/21/2026

“Fear, Trust & Rollercoasters”
Matthew 10:21-33 | Pastor Bo

Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat what it means to follow Him. In Matthew 10, He prepares His disciples for the reality that faith can bring opposition, rejection, and even division within families. Following Christ isn’t always an easy or smooth ride.

Pastor Bo compared the Christian life to a rollercoaster. There are highs and lows, twists and turns, and moments when we feel uncertain or afraid. Yet through every climb and every drop, God remains in control. Our trust is not in our circumstances but in the One who holds us securely.

Three times in this passage Jesus tells His followers, “Do not be afraid.” Why? Because we are deeply loved and valued by God. The same Father who watches over every sparrow knows us so intimately that He has numbered the hairs on our heads. Nothing happens outside of His care.

Jesus calls us to be faithful witnesses—to share what we have heard, proclaim His truth boldly, and confess Him before others. While the world may reject Christ, we can face the future with confidence because our lives are in God’s hands and our eternal future is secure through Him.

When fear tempts us to pull back, Jesus invites us to trust. When the ride feels uncertain, we remember who is holding us. We need not be afraid, because we are precious to our Heavenly Father.

Key Takeaway:
Fear less. Trust more. The rollercoaster of life may have many twists and turns, but God never lets go of His children.

⸻

Thank You

A sincere thank you to Pastor Bo for faithfully sharing God’s Word with us again today and for the reminder that we can trust God even when life feels uncertain. Thank you also to Dave, our Elder, for leading the service and supporting the ministry of our congregation. We are blessed by your willingness to serve and point us to Christ.

“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” – Matthew 10:31

05/17/2026

Dan’s message this Sunday asked us to consider a basketball scenario: if you were down by six points with only a minute and a half left, how would you protect and fight for the win?

He compared that urgency to the spiritual battle all of us believers face in our day to day lives. The devil is desperate to distract us from God’s faith because his time is short. The devil brings distractions, fear, and discouragement to pull us away from God, prayer, and sharing His goodness. But throughout Scripture, we see a pattern: where there is desperation, God provides protection.

In Acts 1:12–26, Judas’ greed revealed desperation and the work of evil, yet God’s protection was seen as the disciples gathered “with one accord” and continued faithfully in prayer. Dan reminded us again of the importance of CPR: Confession, Prayer, and Reading scripture.

In 1 Peter 4:12–19 and 5:6–11, suffering and challenges are acknowledged, but so is God’s care. We are told to cast our anxieties on Him because He cares for us, to resist the enemy by standing firm in faith, and to lean on fellow believers as brothers and sisters in Christ who share life’s struggles. God has equipped us with the protection we need. He is here for us.

Finally, in John 17:1–11, Jesus prayed knowing the suffering ahead of Him. His prayer reminds us that our true destination is eternal life and security with God, and that prayer remains one of the greatest protections and gifts we have.

The message was clear: keep building your life with Christ, guard your mind against distraction and fear, and remember that God’s protection is greater than the desperation around us.

05/10/2026

Dan’s message today reminded us that God reveals what we truly need to know — and invites us to trust Him with the things we don’t fully understand yet.

Using the line from Titanic, “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets,” we reflected on how women often hold tightly to things to protect peace, order, and balance. In a much greater way, God’s thoughts and ways are beyond our own (Isaiah 55), yet He lovingly reveals what matters most through His Word and through Jesus Christ.

In John 14, Jesus speaks these comforting words to His disciples during a time of fear and uncertainty: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Even knowing betrayal, denial, and the cross were ahead, Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit — our Advocate, Helper, and source of peace.

The message throughout the readings was clear:
• We fail, but God remains faithful.
• Christ died and rose again for us.
• The Holy Spirit walks with us daily, and we should lean on Him.
• God reveals what is most important — a relationship with Him through Jesus.

Paul proclaimed this truth to the Athenians, speaking “to an unknown god,” reminding us that we worship the one and only living God. As Christians, we are called to lovingly reveal Christ to others through both our words and our lives and when we share the Good News, our Advocate opens hearts to hear.

On this Mother’s Day, we also gave thanks for the strength, faith, perseverance, and love of the women who continue to guide families through life’s storms with courage and grace.

Thank You, God, for our wonderful mothers — and even more importantly, thank You for God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate. ✝️

Who remembers Hope Dewing visiting St John a couple years ago? She is doing well in ministry at UW Lacrosse. I wanted to...
05/03/2026

Who remembers Hope Dewing visiting St John a couple years ago? She is doing well in ministry at UW Lacrosse. I wanted to share her newsletter and a fun video they made. Enjoy!

Please also continue to support Hope however you’re able-prayer and financially and help her bring more to God’s kingdom!

https://youtu.be/V9SQo_uwI4M?feature=shared

05/03/2026

Thank you to Pastor Bo for preparing this week’s service and message and to our elders Curt and Brian for delivering them to the congregation this morning!

Sunday Message Recap: Lessons from Stephen (Acts 6–7)

This week’s message reminded us of a powerful example from the early church—Stephen, a man whose life still teaches us how to live out our faith today.

Stephen wasn’t chosen because he was the most educated or the most impressive—he was chosen because he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And through his life, we see three simple but meaningful lessons:

1. Serve humbly
Stephen stepped in to meet a real need in the church, not for recognition, but to help others. He reminds us that the church isn’t built by one person—it takes all of us serving together with humility and grace.

2. Speak boldly
Even when it wasn’t easy (or popular), Stephen shared the truth about Jesus. In a world where it’s often easier to stay quiet, this is a good reminder that what we have in Jesus is too important to keep to ourselves.

3. Keep your eyes on Jesus
Even in the hardest moment of his life, Stephen looked to Jesus. Because of that, he was able to stand firm, show grace, and even forgive. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, it changes how we live, how we love, and how we respond to everything around us.

The message was simple but powerful:
When we truly know Jesus, it shows up in how we serve, how we speak, and how we live.

Let’s keep encouraging one another this week—serve where you can, share when you have the opportunity, and keep your eyes on Him. ❤️

Address

N8934 State Highway 55
Pickerel, WI
54465

Opening Hours

7:30am - 8:30am

Telephone

(715) 484-3382

Website

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