july 2011 church mouse
DESCRIPTION
Newsletter for the Community Congregational Church of Elburn.TRANSCRIPT
The Church Mouse Monthly newsletter for the members & friends of Community Congregational Church of Elburn
The Pastor’s Page…. Many thanks to all of you who prayed for and supported the youth excursion to Bridger, South Dakota to
do a work camp with Native Americans of the Lakota (Sioux) Nation. We want to share with you some of
our experiences. Our itinerary looked like this:
Saturday-Sunday – drive to Bridger
Monday – work in and around Bridger (rained out)
Tuesday – work in and around Bridger (rained out)
Wednesday – field trip to Rapid City
Thursday – work in and around Bridger
Friday – work in and around Bridger
Saturday-Sunday – drive home from Bridger
I thought it might be helpful to use the format of ‗what, who, where, when and how.‘
What: Week-long mission trip to the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, a two-day drive west
and north from here.
Where: the tiny village of Bridger, where reside some of the direct descendants of those massacred at
Wounded Knee (1880). Bridger is located at the southwest corner of the Reservation, in the poorest county
in the United States.
Who: 5 students and 2 adults from Elburn Church: Jason Biddle, Lauren Parnell, Alex Siebert, Ryan
Siebert, Kayla Stasell, Jessie VanDevelde and Pastor Michelle. We joined 10 students and 4 adults from
Yorkville Church, for a total of 21 participants.
Why: Our goal each year is to share the love of Christ with the residents of Bridger through our presence,
our material resources, and the labors of our hands. Many groups go to a spot of need, do their thing and
leave. The goal in Bridger, where my husband, Rev. Mark Gregory of Yorkville Church, has been going for
ten years now, is to develop relationships with members of the tribe, so they see us not just as the purveyors
of charity, or relievers of historic guilt, but as brothers and sisters to them.
How: The ‗headquarters‘ of our work was the community room adjacent to the tiny church in Bridger. We
ate there, cleaned up there, did activities there, and some of us slept there. Others slept in the tiny sanctuary,
after we pushed back its ten pews.
Each day we had assigned tasks, both in work projects for the community, and in work projects to sustain
our common life there for a week, like cooking our own food and cleaning the bathrooms daily. Everyone
participated. Students learned new skills, doing some things they‘d never imagine they would or could do.
We accomplished these tasks, in consultation with Bridger pastor, Rev Byron Buffalo:
+ Daily Vacation Bible School for 8 native children . Jessie planned and brought with her the entire cur-
riculum. She and her teen helpers were able to introduce some children to Jesus for the first time.
+ Reroofing and tarring two chicken coups
+ Wiring a chicken coup
+ Procuring 60 more chickens (they had 50 to start)
+ Daily care of chickens, and harvesting eggs
+ Watering of fruit trees and community garden they had just planted
+ Procuring all the materials for construction of a barbed wire fence around a local church
+ Installing posts for the barbed wire fence (rain prevented completing the fence)
+ Home repairs in two native houses
+ Painting of several rooms in native houses
+ Many and long encounters with individual residents of Bridger, including much cuddling of children
Immersing ourselves in Native American culture was an essential part of the week. We visited the Lakota
Museum, Wounded Knee Museum, Tatanka (bison) Museum, and Crazy Horse Memorial. We also drove
through the Badlands and toured Mt. Rushmore. We hoped to attend a powwow Friday night but again,
were rained out.
(continued on page 3)
July 2011
Church Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Phone: (630) 365-6544
INTERIM PASTOR
Rev. Michelle Prentice-Leslie
MODERATOR
Sharon Lackey
VICE-MODERATOR
Mary Royer
TREASURER
Barb Holloman
FINANCIAL SECRETARY
Cindy Doede
CHURCH CLERK
Karen Baston
MINISTRY ASSISTANT
Linda Miller
+++
Please use our street address
when mailing anything to the
church office.
100 E. Shannon Street
Elburn, IL 60119
+++
Our website is constantly
being updated. Check it
out!
July 2011 Community Congregational Church page 2
Musings from the Moderator… Last January the church voted to offer the South Parking lot for sale. The council sent a letter to the village of Elburn
and to the Chamber of Commerce letting them know our intentions and offering the parking lot to them if they were interest-
ed in purchasing it. Neither the town nor the Chamber of Commerce were interested in purchasing the lot. So, the church
council contacted several commercial real estate agents. We have selected an agent and the parking lot will be listed for sale
this month. The realtor is excited about our property and believes he can get a good price for our investment.
Also, by the time you read this, our search committee will have met with Rev. Jonathan Knight to kick off our search pro-
cess. We will keep you informed as to our progress. Please keep us in your prayers. See you in worship,
Sharon Lackey
Moderator
TAIZE Prayer Services The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.
We pray on Sunday, at Bible Study, before
meals, in times of joy and sorrow. Looking for
a new—or actually, very OLD—way to pray?
Try a TAIZE prayer service. The first Friday of each
month, Ascension Church in Oak Park hosts a TAIZE
service at 7:30p, and Pastor Michelle invites you to join
her. TAIZE is a quiet service of meditation, reflection,
readings and music. The singing is repetitive, until the
song sings YOU, as Pastor Michelle points out. Contact
the church office if you are interested in attending on
Friday, July 1.
St. Charles Episcopal Church on north Fifth Avenue
also offers Taize worship on second Sundays at 7:30p.
Lazarus House Dinner Our friends at Lazarus House continue to be in our thoughts and prayers as we pro-vide the occasional dinner for them. As a church we provide the evening meal on the fifth Friday of every month that has 5 Fridays, which means that our next opportunity is July 29. The sign-up sheet will be on the ea-sel in Schneider Hall, ready for you to fill in the part of the meal you’d like to provide. Remember, Lazarus House has a stockpile of frozen foods from which to choose when planning/preparing a meal. Contact Lazarus House in ad-vance (630-587-5872), visit and select food, and store food in church freezers until needed. Disposable pans are availa-ble at church for delivering the meals. Won’t you sign up to help? Thank You!
AMEN Group The AMEN Group continues to meet faithful-
ly on the second Thursday of each month at
6pm in the Nursery. The group meets for an
hour and continues to pray for the special needs
of individuals, our church, the community, and
the world. It‘s a big job! Won‘t you come and
add your voice and heart to the good works of
this group? All are welcome.
July 2011 Community Congregational Church page 3
Blessings from bridger The combined Youth Groups from Community Congregational Church and Yorkville Congregational Church spent June 18-26 on a mission trip to work with the Native Americans of Bridger, South Dakota. Here are some reflections on their experiences there:
Vacation Bible School… God‘s Blessings have been showered on our VBS! Thank You for your
prayers! Our congregation has donated most of the needed supplies and
stepped up to volunteer as workers. We have been blessed with decora-
tion loans and donations from Rejoice Lutheran Church in Geneva and
Baker Memorial Methodist in St. Charles. Last month, they did the same
VBS as we are doing this month, so they had decorations we were able to
borrow. Please continue to pray for a successful VBS and add a prayer of thanksgiving for the added
decorations! See You …. July 11 – 15 at the Shake It Up Café!
Chef Basil
This mission trip to Bridger's reservation has been the
most difficult for me. Despite having worked with chil-
dren in Mexico, West Virginia, Aurora and Indianapolis
I have never witnessed such lack of care for children
and it is a memory I do not think will ever leave me. It
has left me saddened and feeling very helpless as there
is nothing I can do for them except pray for their safety
and well being. They are all beautiful children and de-
spite their living conditions they have a strong spirit. I
pray they stay strong throughout their teen years when
the suicide rate is highest. I am happy to have brought
back many precious pictures of their smiling fac-
es. Please join me in praying for the children of Bridg-
er, South Dakota.
In Christ, Jessie
The Pastor’s Page (cont’d) For nine days and nights, 21 people lived in close proximity to one another, in somewhat-akin-to-third-world circumstances - sleeping on the
floor, little to no cell phone reception, no TV or news of any kind, 2 toilets for 21 people, and the like. We managed – and quite well. Every
day began and ended with prayer. Every evening we broke into quads (little groups) to share reactions and experiences of the day.
On our last night, en route home, in the town of Fairmount, Minnesota, where we were graciously hosted by the UCC congregation there, Alex
gathered us together one last time, and gave us one question to consider: What two words describe your week and what do they mean to you?
Everyone shared personally. I will share mine: One word was ‗discovery.‘ Because I have considerable experience with the Native Ameri-
cans of Central America (Mayans), I was comparing cultures and such, discovering differences and similarities, and what they meant for the
success of each culture as a minority in their own country. My second word was ‗patience.‘ There were many times of waiting (like, to use the
bathroom), many times when plans needed to be changed, some times when some participants didn‘t follow through and needed extra encour-
agement, times when a vehicle needed attention and that slowed us down on the road (once going and once returning), and the difficulty of navi-
gating gumbo (particular form of mud in South Dakota that has a glue quality to it so it sticks to your clothes and can suck your shoes right off
you), and so forth.
You might ask our students what their two words were and what those two words meant to them. You might also ask them to share an encoun-
ter they had with a Native American. We all returned tired but very gratified and humbled, privileged to share, and to receive, the love of Christ
in these ways.
Yours in Christ— Pastor Michelle
One thing I took away from my time in Bridger is a better understanding
of the turmoil the Native Americans dealt with and are still dealing with.
And the things we take for granted that they couldn‘t dream of having.
-Alex Siebert
On the mission trip we met a lot of really amazing people. It was nice to
know that no matter how different people may be, we can still suffer with
the same issues. Also, we helped out a lot around the community. Come
helped with chickens, some painted, etc. It was very fun.—Lauren Parnell
It was a hardworking, learning experience. I met many new people and
learned lots of new abilities and cultures.—Jason Biddle
On the mission trip we worked hard, learned new things and
helped the community. - Kayla Stasell
July 2011 Community Congregational Church page 4
Happy Birthday
Best wishes to these members and friends who are celebrating July birthdays.
July 2 Sally Compton, Irene Baker July 7 Eric Jahns July 9 Becky Holloman, Brooks & Brady Johnson July 10 Tim Royer July 11 Cheryl Krauspe July 14 Craig Swan July 15 Garret Hukle, Elma Wilmath July 16 Brad Miller July 17 Bea Martin July 20 Mary Bateman July 22 Wayne Byerhof July 25 Dick Williams July 27 Derek Baston
Happy Anniversary
Congratulations to these celebrating July wedding anniversaries:
July 1 Pastor Michelle & Mark Gregory 11 years July 6 Rick & Judy Leesley 4 years July 13 Jon & Chris Pangborn 48 years July 26 Carl & Karen Diesel 31 years
If you know of birthdays or anniversaries that are missing from the calendar or listed incorrectly, please call the office so they may be added/corrected. Thank you.
Sunday School News
………from Theresa Biddle
Our Sunday School format will be new and
improved next fall. Karen Diesel has gra-
ciously offered to teach in the fall. More in-
formation will be coming in the next month!!!
Thank You… I was genuinely surprised by the generous Sunday
School Thank You gift I was given last month. As
you know, I get more out of teaching Sunday School
than I ever put into it. It is nice to be appreciated,
and the congregation does an excellent job of doing
that. I get many positive comments and thanks each
Sunday… and hugs from the kids are nice too!!
Thank You!!
Women’s Fellowship!
All women of the church are welcome to attend the next meeting of the Wom-en’s Fellowship on Friday, July 8 at 1:00pm in Schneider Hall. Bring a friend! This isn’t an actual “church” meeting, just a gathering of friends for coffee, treats, laughter and conversation. There’s always a seat for you around the table. Because we all enjoyed the “healthier” menus from April, May and June, everyone is encouraged to bring some sort of salad or healthy side dish: fruit, veggies, hearty bread, light dessert. Last month, we had about 14 people around the table, so plan accordingly and join in the fun and fellowship
Best Wishes to the Bride & Groom
Congratulations to Carolyn Jakes and Brett
Palmer who were united in marriage in our
sanctuary on June 4. In Pastor Michelle‘s
absence, Rev. Bob Stoutt officiated at the
wedding and Carolyn‘s grandmother provid-
ed the organ music. Since both Brett and Carolyn are
jazz musicians, their wedding had a spirited Mardi
Gras theme. Bride and groom participated in the live
music at the reception at Lion‘s Park, and fittingly,
they honeymooned in New Orleans.
We wish Brett and Carolyn much happiness and
many blessings in their new life together.
Congratulations! We offer the collective congratulations of the congregation to Koty LeMaire, this year’s recipient of the Bob Miller Memorial Schol-arship. The scholarship was presented by Judith Mil-ler/Leesley on June 5 during worship. Koty, we hope this bit of financial assistance will help you in your fu-ture education and on the path to making your dreams come true.
On a Church Sign:
Adam blamed Eve.
Eve blamed the snake.
And the snake didn’t have
a leg to stand on.
Usher Teams for July
July 3—Team #2 Captain: Kurth Family
July 10—Team #3 Captain: Merfeld Family
July 17—Team #4 Captain: Pangborn Family
July 24—Team #5 Captain: Jessie & Youth Group
July 31—Team #1 Captain: Karen Baston
July 2011 Community Congregational Church page 5
July 3 ~ Third Sunday after Pentecost 8:20 a.m. Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Worship with Holy Communion
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
July 10 ~ Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 8:20 a.m. Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
July 17 ~ Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 8:20 a.m. Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
July 24 ~ Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 8:20 a.m. Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
July 31 ~ Seventh Sunday after Pentecost 8:20 a.m. Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Worship; Reverse Offering
10:30 a.m. Linger Longer Potluck Meal
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
Illinois Conference UCC
Women’s Retreat
A Playdate with the Spirit!
October 7-8, 2011
Pilgrim Park UCC Retreat Center
Princeton, IL
Stressed out lately? Always there for others but no time left for you? Then this is a retreat you will love! Jesus said: “Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3)
Enjoy the benefits of inspirational leadership, personal meditation time, song, prayer, dance, leisurely walks, good food, just plain fun, or just sitting and relaxing.
Registration forms and information are on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Contact Pastor Michelle or the church office if you’d like to organize a group to attend this retreat together.
“Feed My Starving Children” Schedule A number of us have had the joy of doing some ―hands on‖ work to package food for hungry children around the world. Here‘s the sched-
ule for the rest of the year. Join us for a spiritual boost!
August 3 2:30-4:30p
September 7 6:30-8:30p
October 26 6:30-8:30p
November 9 6:30-8:30p
December 7 6:30-8:30p
January 4, 2012 6:30-8:30p February 8, 2012 6:30-8:30p
We usually meet at church to carpool.
Thank You to Barb Holloman for filling in for Linda in the office from July 1 to August 8. Linda is taking some extended R&R up in Michigan, to fully recover from a recent illness and to get a taste of what retirement “Up North” will be like! Thanks, Barb.
July 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3
Team 2 ushers
9:00a Sunday School
9:20a Bible Study
10:30a Worship with
Holy Communion
11:30a Fellowship
5:00p Hope Anglican
4 INDEPENDENCE DAY
Office is Closed
5
9a Crafty Crafters
7p Ministry
Meetings
7:30p Scouts
6
11a Bible Study at
the Meadows
6p Youth Group
7
6p Cub Scouts
8 1p Women‘s
Fellowship
9
10
Team 3 ushers
8:20a Bible Study
9:30a Worship
10:30a Fellowship
5:00p Hope Anglican
6:30p VBS Set Up
11
12
9a Crafty Crafters
7:30p Scouts
13
11a Bible Study at
the Meadows
6p Youth Group
14
6p AMEN Group
6p Girl Scouts
7p Church Council
15
16
17
Team 4 ushers
8:20a Bible Study
9:30a Worship
10:30a Fellowship
5:00p Hope Anglican
18
19 9a Crafty Crafters
7:30p Scouts
20
11a Bible Study at
the Meadows
6p Youth Group
21
6p Cub Scouts
22
23
24
Team 5 ushers
8:20a Bible Study
9:30a Worship
10:30a Fellowship
5:00p Hope Anglican
25 MOUSE deadline
26
9a Crafty Crafters
7:30p Scouts
27
11a Bible Study at
the Meadows
6p Youth Group
28 6p Girl Scouts
29
30
31
Team 1 Ushers
8:20a Bible Study
9:30a Worship;
Reverse Offering
10:30a Linger Longer
3p Scout Mtg.
5:00p Hope Anglican
August Previews:
August 2—Ministry Meetings 7p
August 3—Feed My Starving Children 2:30-4:30p
August 11—Church Council 7p
August 18-20—Elburn Days
August 21—Worship at Lion‘s Park—North Stage 9:30a
SHAKE IT UP with VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 9-12
Something to think about for Independence Day:
―If we ever forget that we are one nation under God,
then we will be a nation gone under.‖ -Ronald Reagan
Mission Statement
The Community Congregational United Church of Christ
of Elburn is called by God
to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ
to our community and beyond by serving as
His heart, hands and feet through worship, prayer, Christian education and
Community Congregational Church 100 E. Shannon Street, PO Box 308 Elburn, Illinois 60119
July 2011
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
God is still speaking,
MAILING LABEL
Please use our street address when
mailing anything to the church office:
100 E. Shannon Street
Elburn, IL 60119
Member of the Elburn Chamber of Commerce
We Need You
For Elburn Days! See the sign-up sheets in the Narthex.
Opportunities for everyone!