St. John's Lutheran Church is a 'happy, upbeat place'

PERKINS TWP — Visitors will feel at home in this church. St. John's Lutheran Church sits at U.S. 250 and Schied Road. Its current building was constructed in 1915, though the congregation has existed since 1865. Those who attended the church more than 100 years ago spoke German, church member Peg Kingsley said. Back then, men sat on one side of the church while women and children sat on the other side.Today, about 80-100 people show up on Sundays, with Sunday school at 9 a.m. and the weekly worship service at 10:30 a.m. Some families are descendants of the founding families.St. John's Lutheran Church at the intersection of Scheid Road and U.S. 250 on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.Parishioners vary by age but have no problem interacting with each other, Kingsley said."When you walk in here, you can tell it's a happy, upbeat place," she said. "We feel like a family together. We're very welcoming."The Rev. Stacy Lauer-Scovanner noticed the close-knit atmosphere when she interviewed for the job about two and a half years ago. She grew up in Gibsonburg and pastored two Toledo churches before moving to the Sandusky area with her husband, Ryan and daughter, Mia. Her youngest child, Sophia, is a year and a half old."I walked in (the church) and it felt like home," she said. "I''m really thankful to be here."Lauer-Scovanner makes each service so people of all ages can be involved, whether it be in the choir, having a special children's sermon during Sunday worship, among other ways."I love to see our younger and older parishioners interact with each other," she said. St. John's Lutheran Church on Scheid Road on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.To cultivate community, members of the congregation meet at a restaurant about once a month for "Supper Club" outings. They next meet April 25 at Huron's Marconi's restaurant anyone is welcome to join. Monthly, they meet for prayer and study. During June, July and August, on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m., the church gather for a service at Nickel Plate Beach.To give back, St. John's Lutheran cares for a giving garden to grow produce for those in need, makes lunches to hand out at Care and Share, collects school supplies each year, Shawnee Elementary in Huron received the donations this year. This past Wednesday, members assembled care packages for area nursing homes.For Lent, parishioners collect a special offering for a person or group outside their church. This year, they're helping to build wells in Tanzania.Get to know St. John's Lutheran ChurchAddress: 106 Scheid Road, SanduskyPhone: 419-625-2192Website: stjohnlcsandusky.comFacebook page: St. John's Lutheran Church, Sandusky (@stjohnlcsandusky)Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodThe Rev. Stacy Lauer-Scovanner stands inside St. John's Lutheran Church on Scheid Road on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.