the pilgrim -...
TRANSCRIPT
THE PILGRIM
February 2015 - Issue 02
in this edition:
page 2
• Lent/Pastor Scott
page 3
Music Ministry & Media/Jim
Molina
page 4-5
• A Stranger’s Flock/ Pastor Rix
page 6
• Youth News/Pastor Rix
page 7
• Children’s Ministry/Ms Jan
page 8
• Buildings and Grounds
page 9
• Troop 55
page 10
• 149th Annual Meeting
• Nursery Attendant’s Needed
• March 8th Celebration
page 11
• 150th Anniversary Celebration
• Manna
• PADS
page 12
• Caring For Creation
• Capital Campaign Policy
• Sacred Treasures
page 13
• Bridge Information
• Ladies of the Morning & Evening
• Blood Pressure Check & Drive Thanks
• FCLC
page 14
• Hope’s Front Door - 5K Race
page 15
• Two-Way Street Coffee House
Have you been visiting First Congregational UCC ? Whether
you are a short term or long standing visitor we’d like to invite
you to explore membership opportunities at the church and to
get a better feel for what makes First Congregational Church
the faith community it is. We offer three new member classes
this spring. They cover everything from beliefs and values, to
our governance and structure, to what happens here on a daily
basis with our programs.
In addition, the classes speak to the hopes and expectations we
have of our members and perhaps more importantly allows
plenty of opportunity for you to ask questions that may be on
your mind.
Attending classes in no way obligates you to join.
Class One February 19th 7pm Room 502- Pastor Scott lead-
ing, The United Church of Christ/beliefs/history/governance
Class Two March 1st Visitor’s Tour of the building and a
true feel of what happens here in ministry and mission on a
weekly basis behind the scenes.
Class Three March 5th What does it mean to be a mem-
ber? Participating in the life and missions of the church
“New Member’s Sunday” will be on Sunday March 8, 2015.
Bucking the trend: In the last three years we have taken in
over 140 new members to the church. We’d love for you to
consider being part of this great church family.
Pastor Scott
FOR ALL VISITORS
LENT As you read this I am preparing for a journey, a journey I was not sure I’d ever make. I am getting
ready to board a flight for an 8 day trip to the Holy Land to see many of the historical sites that are
a part of our faith story. It is a place I have long been eager to visit, but with much of the violence
and turmoil in the Middle East, a place that also comes with a little apprehension. As we journey
into this Lenten season I hope my time there will help me to bring back home here to the church
some valuable insights and with any luck an opportunity for us as a congregation to venture there in
the near future. During my week out the 3rd-11th, please contact Rev. Sanders and Rev. Thorsell in
the case of any pastoral emergency.
LENT Ash Wednesday begins us on our Lenten journey. If most of us were asked what Lent is we’d like-
ly say “giving up something” and the Christian season before Easter. But Lent is an intentional
invitation to venture into the wilderness with Jesus. It is built around the forty days and nights that
Christ spent out in the unknown, fasting, praying, and preparing for the ministry that he would en-
ter into.
If we would follow Jesus on this journey, it means that we too must prepare. We should carve out
new time to devote to reflection and to allowing God to enter the fray of life that sometimes pushes
our time with God to the sidelines. Lent doesn’t happen to disciples without our intentionality.
This Lent, as in seasons past, we will focus on a particular aspect of our faith as we journey with
Christ from the wilderness to the cross. The focus this year during our journey as a faith communi-
ty will be upon prayer and the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is familiar to us. Most of us know it by
heart. Many of us say it daily. But what does it mean to pray for these things as Jesus taught us to
pray? What results do we hope for? Have they become a ritual that comforts without purpose? Or
in saying the Lord’s Prayer are we inciting the very power of God to come and engage us in build-
ing God’s kingdom here and now?
Lenten Worship Services Feb 18
th 6:00pm Simple Supper put on by Congregational Care Ministry followed by 7:30pm
Ash Wednesday Worship March 29
th Palm Sunday 9:30am
April 2nd
6:00pm Meal, 7:30 Maundy Thursday
April 3rd
7:30pm Good Friday Tenebrae Service
April 5th
6:00am Easter Sunday Sunrise Service, 9:30am Worship & 11:00am Worship
UPDATES: Leadership in the church this year will be working on another facet of our church value of being an
Open and Affirming UCC church. This facet will work on developing grants for greater accessibil-
ity to and throughout our church facility for those with disability and handicaps. These grants
would be aimed at improving accessibility in our entrance ways and increasing parking for those
with disability when the new parking lot is completed.
Pastor Scott Oberle
Page 02
Pastor Scott Oberle
From February 2nd – 4th Dynamic Audio Solutions will install our new sound system, removing all
the old wiring and all the old equipment. They will also train the “tech” staff on the new system.
At a glance
New “Sanctuary Speakers” which will be angled appropriately to offer a wider aural spectrum
New speakers in the parlor and in the chancel loft
A Subwoofer which will handle the bass frequencies
New choir mics that can pick up the “whole” of the choir in a balanced way
A special “boom” mic that can be placed over the youth choirs so they can all be heard in sing-
ing and in dialogue
A new Digital Mixer board with advanced sound integration. Separate mixes for the sanctuary,
the Web Media stream, audio recording, and more! Programming ability for the different types
of needs – worship, weddings, memorial services, etc.
A sound engineer on the main floor of the sanctuary providing a better way of balancing sound
as you hear it!
Control ability from an iPad anywhere in the sanctuary!
Overall crisper, cleaner, contemporary sound that will enhance the Worship experience in the
sanctuary and in our web stream
With these exciting changes we look forward to our ability to reach out further and spread the
“Good News”! Time and again I am getting emails and phone calls from people whose lives are
being transformed by the message and the music delivered every Sunday both in the live service
and from the “web stream”. As the technology of the world allows us to reach out further, I am
glad to see that “we” as a church are making concerted efforts to change with the times.
We are exploring new ways of getting the multi media to have a greater impact. New website
plans are in the making as we wish to not only be with the trend but to also set new trends. The
future of “church” is promising as God is giving us the resources to reach outside our walls. Our
Ministry of Media is hard at work exploring all the possibilities to enhance our Sunday Worship
experience as well as our Media Worship experience.
A special thanks to:
Bill Hammack – Powerpoint, graphics, and lighting
Len Potter – Multi Media filming, editing, design, and direction
Joey Vana – Sound engineer for Sunday Worship
Jim Molina
Minister of Music and Media
Music & Media Ministry Page 03
Pastor Scott Oberle
It was a bright, cold winter Saturday as I rode the empty public transit bus making its rounds on the out-skirts of Des Moines, Iowa. This wasn’t an usual routine for an intern working in a political campaign. Even more so for one in Des Moines Iowa for the Presidential Iowa Caucuses. Today was different though. Today was the morning I’d been told I’d get to personally meet our candidate face to face. As an unpaid political intern, that’s the dream.
After the plain white bus got me as far as it was able, I got off and walked to a formerly unoccupied strip mall, where now there were countless campaign headquarters for dozens of candidates of all political stripes.
I reached one of the smaller, more nondescript buildings where I worked. I noticed right away that some-thing was wrong, because I was soon on my butt trying to open what turned out to be locked doors. I looked around the parking lot and noticed that there were no cars there, and all the lights were off. With my heart pounding, I called my supervisor, dreading the answer that I knew I was about to hear.
“Hello?” a woman’s voice on the other end answered in the background of a noisy campaign event. Oh no, I thought, my heart sinking.
“Hi, it’s Rix. Where is everyone? I thought we were supposed to meet now to head over the campaign event.”
“Oh,” she answered, almost chirpily, “We decided to head over an hour earlier to set up everything.”
They had forgotten me.
Jesus tells us a parable about the shepherd with a hundred sheep who goes after the lost one. A tale like this seemed to be very appropriate for this moment. I wanted someone to come back for me. I wanted someone to have missed me before they decided to leave, or at the least miss me enough now to give me a way to get back to my team, my flock.
Instead, I was abandoned, left in the cold, alone, and a little scared… the suburbs of Des Moines can get pretty rough.
But feeling abandoned can mean more than being left on the side of the road. Being abandoned in the oth-er way cuts deep into the soul, it’s something that leaves us on our own for the first time. It’s hard because it’s unfamiliar, and it’s lonely. And it can happen in a moment we least expect it.
This loneliness can linger; we’ve lost our flock, our source of comfort. In the open fields of these lonely nights, we feel insignificant, the casualty of a cruel world. Abandonment becomes more real than we can talk about; the harshest wind in the winter of our souls.
And yet, Jesus comes to us with a rebuttal in the form of a parable that, on its front, probably seems a little ri-diculous. A shepherd who would leave 99 other sheep and go after a lost one? As a smart third grader asked me once, “Wouldn’t all the other sheep wander off then?”
Why yes Suzie, I suppose they would.
A Stranger’s Flock By Rev. Rix Thorsell Page 04
Continues on next page
Pastor Scott Oberle
This parable sounds is as bizarre for us, as it was for the Pharisees listening to Christ 2000 years ago. To picture this in a modern context, there was no way my supervisor was going to drive all the way back to pick up an in-tern on a cold winter morning. There’s no way a shepherd would leave the rest of his flock to wander off while he went searching for that last one. So what use is a parable like this if it doesn’t seem to match up with our reality?
Parables are meant to be absurd and a bit outrageous, and finding meaning in any literal sense would’ve left me standing on the side of road until I froze to death. The answer we’re looking for doesn’t in the way we expect it; our experiences of being lost or abandoned are not fixed as simply as Jesus makes it seem.
But then again, Christ never intended it to be that way.
Sometimes we are abandoned. It happens to us all at some point or another. Whether it is people, wealth, or health, we can be abandoned by many things we thought were a certainty. In this loss, we’ve got to ask our-selves, if God loves us, is he abandoning us by taking away the things we need to make us complete in life?
Jesus told us, that’s not the way to look at it. Maybe we haven’t been abandoned by God, but rather aban-doned the things of this world that are impermanent. Things that will, at some point or another, disappear. These are not our keepers, our true shepherds. But it takes a searching in that feeling of abandonment in order to start to hear where God is guiding us.
For me, back on that cold Des Moines morning, my prayer for a ride was never answered. I missed the event, and the only time I got to shake the hand of my candidate was as he walked out the door the night of the Iowa Caucuses, withdrawing from the race due to a lower than expected showing. After banking that politics was my calling, and quickly becoming disillusioned, I felt lost.
And yet, looking back with this scripture of the lost sheep in mind, I’m beginning to realize that, as the family I’d been a part of moved on to another field without me, I was hearing a voice I didn’t recognize at the time. The voice of the church, a most unlikely shepherd in my eyes, had begun to make me realize that perhaps I’d gotten lost in the wrong flock. Only now that I was alone, that one lost sheep, could I clearly hear her calling to where I actually belonged.
In whatever loneliness we suffer, we’re reminded that our shepherd is out there, calling us, though we may not know her voice. Even in the least expected of ways, we’ll be provided for, as surely as the crazy person comes back out to get that one sheep that got away. You’re not forgotten or abandoned, even if that’s what the world tells you. God stands beside you, waiting for you to ask the question: where do I belong? Whether this is asked in the cold bright mornings of winter or the darkest of nights, you are being called out to.
Come, for your shepherd is waiting.
A Stranger’s Flock By Rev. Rix Thorsell Page 05
continues
YOUTH PILGRIM NEWS!
We headed into 2015 with a bang! This January, our youth have been
swinging into high gear, both preparing for our Summer Mission Trip
and forming valuable relationships and growth through the joining of
our faith journeys. And we’ve got lots more to come!
Studio 501! A New
Voice for the Next
Generation We are kicking off a
year where social me-
dia is becoming a more
intentional component
to our youth and young
adult ministries. One of
the ways we want
youth to express their
faith is by reflecting on
it through a new radio
program started up by
the UCC Family Net-
work in January of this
year.
We are always looking
for youth and young
adults to be a part of
this new ministry, so
whether you would like
to be a guest or simply
check us out, you can
find Studio 501 at
www.uccfn.org/
radio.html.
Thank you to our Janu-
ary guests, Senior Emi-
ly Binder and Junior
Kyle Hall.
Wisconsin Ski Trip 2015! We just returned from Kewaskum, Wisconsin, for a
late January visit to Peace UCC, where Pastor Eric
Kierkegaard (child of this church!) and the congrega-
tion hosted us for the weekend. We went skiing,
played games, relaxed, and built community with the
youth group of Peace. A special thanks to our chaper-
ones, Leslie McFarland, Dan Swick, Brett Johnson,
and Dena Provenzano for making this such a fun ex-
perience for our youth!
MLK Polar Peace March! On January 18, our youth trekked down-
town to St. Paul’s UCC for the Chicago
Polar Peace March meant to bring
awareness to economic and social issues
for many living in the Chicagoland area.
This was a Spirit-filled experience where
we both worshipped and marched.
Mission Trip Deadlines If you would like a $30 discount on trip
expenses, please turn in your registration
and deposit by February 15! You can
also register online by going to
www.uccdgyouth.org, in addition to
other updated information regarding our
trip to New York City on June 13-21.
A Winter Lock In! As if a Ski Retreat weren’t enough for our youth, we had a
Winter Lock in several weeks ago that brought out 2 dozen
of our youth for a night filled with creative and fun activi-
ties to grow our faith together! Our youth turned into a hu-
man foosball table, they built a massive and complicated
puzzle together, took a ride with Pastor Scott to Whirley-
ball, and as always, played sardines.
Youth Group & Youth Services! Youth Group has been lively both in youth
group and on the streets. From dodge ball to
an all church scavenger hunt to Night Min-
istry to the People’s Resource Center, our
youth are a vibrant part of our community
in both words and actions!
Page 06
Page 07
Happy Valentine’s Day to all! During the month of February, everyone is thinking about love. Since God
is Love, I think we need to be thinking about love each and every day, all year around. Well, our Sunday
school children are learning about God’s love and our VBS this summer is all about God’s love as well.
So there will be lots of LOVE around our church this year! Our Sunday school children will be learning
about Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel during the month of February.
Our Junior Fellowship group (4th – 6th graders) had an ice skating party in January and this month will
enjoy our Movie/game night on February, 28! Our kids will have pizza, play games and see a great mov-
ie on the ceiling of the Chapel while enjoying popcorn and movie candy! This is my favorite Junior Fel-
lowship event of the year!!! Don’t miss out!
Maria Carini and I have begun rehearsals for our spring musical! Watch for updates as we move for-
ward. Our musical will be on Sunday, May 3rd. The cast list will have been posted by the time of this
printing.
Our Vacation Bible School planning is underway. Our VBS this year is called: A Blast from the Past!
We will be studying bible stories about how God’s Love is Incredible, God’s Love is Faithful, God’s Love
is Invincible, God’s Love is Unconditional and God’s Love is Real. We will enter a “time machine” and go
back in time! We are still securing our teaching team, adult supervisors and youth counselors so if you
are interested in helping, please contact Jan Barker. We will also be asking for donations again this
year for arts and crafts items and snack items. Please watch for notices and announcements. VBS
week is June 8th – June 12th and VBS Sunday is June 14th. Registration for VBS will be starting in
March. All registrations for VBS received by May 1st will receive a $15.00 discount, so get your regis-
tration in early!
We have a beautiful camping property in Michigan called Tower Hill. It is owned by the UCC Church.
Each summer they have wonderful camping experiences for children of all ages. It is a “tree” mendous
opportunity for children to go swimming, play games and sports and be with other children from all over
our country. This camp is uniquely suited to spiritual and community development. Tower Hill is located
near the Warren Dunes and the Sawyer exit. It is only about an hour and a half drive from here. The
groups are divided by ages. Mr. Dennis Kirshner, founder of the camp will be here to speak about the
Tower Hill camp during worship and will be available for ques-
tions and to register children in Fellowship Hall following the
service. As I receive more information I will send out updates.
Enjoy your Valentine’s Day and remember to spread the LOVE!
Jan Barker – Director of Children’s Ministries
All You Need Is Love!
Buildings and Grounds continues to move forward with the Capital Campaign
projects, with continued emphasis to complete all viable “Phase 1” projects as
soon as possible.
The roof has been completed including necessary tuck pointing. We
still need to re-insulate the duct work for the air conditioning units,
which was not part of the contract. Final payment has not been made
yet, as we are in discussions regarding the amount invoiced versus what
we feel we are contractually obligated to pay.
HVAC controls. We received our third bid on January 20th, and a sub-committee is putting together
a bid comparison form to make sure all our requirements are being met by each bidder. The vendors
will be contacted for any revisions and clarifications prior to any decision being made. The goal is
the have the comparison with bid revisions done for our regular B&G meeting on February 10th, with
a decision being made at a special B&G meeting on February 17th. The Congregation will be advised
once we receive the required approvals from Finance & Budget and Cabinet. The current bids range
from $60,000 to $120,000, but also vary greatly on what they provide.
Office Renovation – we continue to move forward with Ron Moravec leading a team of volunteers
including Sean Sheehan from the Technology Committee. Final plans are being drawn up by Flint &
Associates after extensive consultation with Pastor Scott and other interested parties. Working with
the architect, we have a much better idea of actual costs, which are coming in between $80,000 to
$95,000. Costs related to asbestos removal are being separated from the project and included in our
total asbestos removal efforts affecting other areas of the church. Due to the asbestos, we are hoping
to start in May to catch the asbestos contractors before they start the large school projects for the
summer. Office renovations will hopefully begin immediately thereafter. Prior to this happening, we
will need to have a new wireless phone system in place so the staff can operate from other parts of
the building during construction.
Parking Lot/Driveway and Sidewalks & Storm Water – on hold although we are looking at the via-
bility of doing the sidewalks separately and sooner. In the meantime, we are developing our strategy
to involve the Village and Park District to help us solve the water problem coming from their proper-
ties. We also need to determine when funds will be available so the larger project can begin.
Handicap accessibility issues are being reviewed as a result of two different grants that are availa-
ble for these issues. This would help us be ADA compliant in regards to such areas as our bathrooms
and west doors which need automatic opening doors or to meet width requirements. There is no
guarantee that we will be approved for either grant.
Come see the newly painted sanctuary. Repainting is courtesy of our insurance carrier from last
year’s water damage claim caused by the “Polar Vortex” and facilitated by the roof that has now been re-
placed. Also, the light that wasn’t functional on the right side of sanctuary has been repaired by Mike Coletto
at the same time, using the painter’s scaffolding.
Dave
Building & Grounds Committee! Page 08
February 1, 2015, we are pleased to Welcome Troop 55 to our service this morning to celebrate Scout
Sunday and our chartering them since 1928. The troop is going strong with 42 registered scouts (9
scouts from Pack 85; 7 Scout; 2 Tenderfoot; 2 2nd Class; 7 1st Class; 3 Star; 10 Life; and 2 Eagle
Scout) along with 20 active adults. We are also anticipating 10+ new scouts to bridge from Cub Scouts
by the end of March. The troop is scout led with the planning of activities performed and executed by
the scouts with the support of a dedicated cadre of parents and adult leaders.
We are proud to have Garrett Jacobellis, Nathan Nystedt and Quinn Post achieve the rank of Eagle dur-
ing 2014. Garrett Jacobellis’s Eagle project involved the building of feed boxes for horses at the Ray
Graham Center. Nathan Nystedt’s Eagle project involved construction of an area for storage above Fel-
lowship Hall. Quinn Post’s Eagle project involved the building of planter boxes for growing plants and
vegetables for the Easter Seals DuPage and Fox Valley Region.
There are nine (9) other scouts currently working on the rank of Eagle. Ryan Gage, Riley Gagliano, Wil-
liam Hogan, Konrad Kuczkowski, Joshua Ortiz, Sean Petersen, Adrian Petrykiw, Benjamin Pfeiffer and
Alexander Tsui who will begin their Eagle projects over the course of this year.
The scouts outdoor activities include Klondike campout, family ski trip, climbing, caving, summer camp,
fishing, electronics lock-in and hiking trips (10 miles and over). In addition to these regular activities,
we are planning high adventure trips for our scouts to provide them with more physically demanding and
mentally challenging activities to keep interest at a high level. One such event is Philmont Scout Reser-
vation where a group will be in the wilderness for 11 days of hiking and camping in the mountains of
New Mexico. Troop 55 has sent a group to Philmont in 2007, 2010, 2013 and the next trip will be com-
ing up in July of this year.
The troop has four main fundraising events being candy, plants, wreaths and butter braids; however they
do not solicit the church for plants due to the FCC Brothers plant sale. Approximately 90% of the pro-
ceeds go to scouts for use in scout related activities such as merit badge supplies, summer camp, gear
and regular outings.
The Troop has also given back to the Church through numerous
service projects including, FCC Brothers pancake breakfast,
Shoe Drive, Church Garage Sale, as well as the Scout annual
day of service (outside clean up, window washing, vacuuming).
A huge service is the assistance they provide to Family Learning
Center in moving furniture so rooms can be cleaned during the
summer over several weekends.
We appreciate the excellent relationship we have with Troop 55
and we know they share our feelings. Congratulations Troop 55
on a job well done.
Troop 55 Celebrates Scout Sunday
Page 09
Information from UCCDG
First Congregational Church's
149th Annual Meeting
Missed our 2015 Annual Meet-
ing? You can still catch it on our
website: http://uccdg.org/#/church-
online. Tune in to learn more about
FCC's 2015 budget and ballot, along
with updates on the capital cam-
paign and other important church
business. Meeting minutes will also
be available on the website later in
February.
Mark Your Calendars for Sunday,
March 8th!
We will celebrate the magnificent
success of our Building on Faith's
Foundation capital campaign and
progress on our building re-
pairs. Join us in Fellowship Hall after
worship on March 8th for a church-
wide lunch and celebration. Stay
tuned for more details...
Prayer Concerns & Community Joys
Deaths: Len Johnson, Dave Lowder, broth-
er of Mary Dove, Verne Diehl, Todd Diehl’s father, Betty White, Catalina Quinones, Jim
Molina’s grandmother, Irene T. Vercellino,
Hospitalized: Betty Cheever, Rusty Rozof,
Kaitlin Thorsell’s father, Pat Wager, Bever-
ly Binder, Rick Frank, Patti Miller, Margaret
Dahle, Jim Culligan (Jane’s brother)
It’s A Baby Girl: Amelia Hicks, Justin & An-
drea Hicks are the proud parents
Valerie James Wild –new granddaughter to
Char and Bob Wild 21 inches 8lbs 6ounc-
es. (Daughter of Jeff and Kristen Wild)
(Niece to Kim and Ken Kanewski)
Nursery Attendant Needed
After three years of taking excellent care of
our Sunday morning nursery, Carrie Anslow
is stepping down as of the end of the school
year. We thank Carrie for her loving care of
our babies and toddlers. We are now look-
ing for someone to fill her “big” shoes. This
is a paid position and the person must be of
at least 18 years of age. This position in-
volves being in the nursery on Sunday
mornings from 9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (or
until the last child is picked up). There are
a few extended hour Sundays when we have
a special meeting following worship and for
a few special services throughout the year.
There is always a paid assistant with you
each Sunday. You are responsible for the
care of the children and cleaning up after
the last child leaves. You will work with the
Director of Children’s Ministries to coordi-
nate snacks, supplies and other needs. An-
yone applying will be subject to a back-
ground check. Please contact Jan Barker if
you are interested in applying for this posi-
tion.
Thank You!
For the cakes, cookies,
visits, and Christmas
cards. Everything
you’ve done is greatly
appreciated. Jo Tarcak
Page 10
Get Connected!
The 150th Anniversary of First Congregational
Church will take place in 2016. You are proba-
bly aware that there is a committee, working
hard on events and activities that will take place
to celebrate and demonstrate to the community
our commitment to mission and social justice.
You are always welcome to join us at our meet-
ings. Right now, we are meeting once per
month. Check the bulletin or the church calen-
dar for dates and time. We also welcome any
directories, pamphlets, bulletins, pilgrims or
specially printed material that you might have
from the past. We are compiling as many docu-
ments as we can and scanning them. We are
hoping to be able to upload the documents to the
internet in order to share with everyone. If you
have materials, please see or contact Linda
Schranz at 630-464-0426 or lsme-
MANNA SALES EXCEED GOAL
For the 2014 church budget Manna had a goal of $3,800 and we were able to con-tribute $5,200! Thank you to everyone who has supported the church through Manna. For 2015 the goal is $5,500 but we can exceed this goal as well. Purchasing Manna cards is an easy way to support our church since the gift card value is what you pay. The vendor contributes a per-centage to the church. Here are some on-going uses for Manna cards: *Fuel for your auto, *Groceries, *Prescription and other medicines, *Movies or dinners out Shopping There are hundreds of providers. So stop by the Manna table soon to find out how you can help us exceed the 2015 goal and support all the good work of our church!
150TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
SUPPORT PADS
Page 11
The Caring for Creation Team (formerly known as the Green
Team) held its kick-off meeting in January. Attendees gener-
ated a number of ideas for how the church can be more envi-
ronmentally sustainable and how the Team can help provide
information on conservation/environmental issues to mem-
bers. For starters, we will be adding a section to the church
website and introducing a monthly feature in the Pilgrim with
tips on how members can be more green at home, work and
in their communities.
This month, the Caring for Creation Team is partnering with
Troop 55 and SCARCE to collect all types of books and old
keys. The Boy Scouts will be collecting books Collection on
Scout Sunday (Feb. 1) and at the FCC Brothers Pancake
Breakfast on Feb. 7. SCARCE will distribute the books to
youth and adults around the world. Books too damaged to
reuse will be recycled. For more information, contact Dave
Williams.
OUR VERY OWN: Sacred
Treasures
Sacred Treasures is a journal that gathers photos,
personal remembrance stories, profiles of new and
old members, children and young adults inspira-
tional artwork, essays and even recipes that
demonstrate on how God works in your life. Sa-
cred Treasures is a volume of your work that will
be published by the First Congregational United
Church of Christ in the fall. The book will be on
sale for the holiday season of 2015 to share the
wonderful talent of our congregation. We are also
interested in photo essays. Sacred Treasures is
looking for original prayers that all can relate,
special being thankful stories, stories relating to
Christmas, charity and tribute to family members
such as the miracle of Mothers, Fathers and
Grandparents. Even Noah's recipe of healthy
food can be submitted.
Poetry will be accepted suggesting personal expe-
rience with God, other perceptions of faith or your
favorite scripture of the month for just some ex-
amples of what we enjoy.
Examples of topics include your own personal
miracles, how prayer affects your life, what is
your definition of forgiveness, how are you in-
volved in your church, what are your spiritual
gifts and how God truly works in your life to en-
courage others.
These are the stories we like to publish. Remem-
ber, an interesting photo is usually the beginning
of a good story. We need at least one clear, inter-
esting photograph for every 600 words of text
however, we will add are own pictures if you do
not submit one.
Essays are suggested between 400 and 1000
words. We will begin accepting submissions for
our book beginning February 1st so submission
guidelines and directions will be detailed at that
time. However, feel free to contact Karla Sulli-
van, Editor, at [email protected] for
further information or Leslie McFarland.
Karla Sullivan
UCCDG News!
Cabinet has created this ad hoc Committee to develop capital
campaign oversight policies and procedures. Members of the
Committee include: Dirk Gutzke, Virginia Hopley, Dave Hum-
phreys, Steve Johnson, Deanna Leonard, Laurie Olsen, Pam
Swick, Pam Toleikis, and Dave Williams. We anticipate the
policies and procedures will be complete in the next 2 to 3
months, at which time they will be presented to the congrega-
tion. Cabinet remains the decision-making body for all cam-
paign projects and expenditures, using these policies to guide
decision-making.
If you have questions, ideas, or suggestions as the Committee
develops these very important operating procedures, please
contact Virginia Hopley (630/987-9298 or vhop-
Capital Campaign Policy
Oversight Committee
CARING FOR CREATION IS UP & RUNNING
Page 12
Women's Fellowship: It's February so it's time for
our Annual Appetizers and Desserts for
Dinner Party— Date: Friday, February 13,
2015. We hope those who can't attend day gath-
erings can come for "Dinner." Men are invited!. This is one of the few times a
year where men are welcome to join us.
Time: 7:00 PM—Where: location to be deter-
mined. Keep an eye on the Sunday bulletins or call
me for update on location. Contact me to let me
know you (and maybe a guy?) are coming and what
you want to bring. An appetizer or
dessert. I'll bring chili.
Peggy Gutzke H-630/971-
1382 [email protected]
BRIDGE INFORMATIONAL MEETING
Bridge Informational Meeting
Bridge Communities is a transi-
tional housing program moving
homeless families toward self- suf-
ficiency by partnering with local
churches to deliver services. The
local volunteer mentors from the partnering
churches are the prime contacts with each family.
Bridge strongly believes in the power of a volun-
teer to connect with the family in a meaningful
way, and it is the relationship between the mentor
and the homeless family that provides a strong in-
centive for the family to move forward. Local
churches providing committed volunteers and fi-
nancial assistance toward rent, teamed with the
professional support of Bridge Communities, are
the framework of this local initiative, grassroots
program. We have been in relationship with Bridge
for 16 years. We need 5-6 individuals who are will-
ing to help with setting up the apartment, help with
fund raising, do publicity, recruit new mentors and/
or be a liaison with Bridge Communities. Come to
an informational meeting in the chapel on February
22 at 11:00 am in the chapel to find out more about
this ministry.
Ladies of the Morning & Evening
Blood Drive Thank You!
Page 13
Marilyn Jelinek, Stan Steed and Ron Moravec
would like to thank the following participants
in the Blood Drive held on January 2O: Deb-
orah Aguzino, Ralph Anderson, David Bow-
en, Laurel Bowen, Paul Callahan, Chris Clif-
ton, Scott Given, Jeannie Gomen, Arthur
Gutzke, Mark Herrick, Melissa Inboriboon,
David Lane, Eugene Lavin, Dennis Lewis,
Patricia Linden Lewis, Ana Mayo, Lynn Nie-
mi, John Ourada, Linda Schranz, Marty
Schranz, Phillip Weaver, and Dave Wiliams.
Everyone enjoyed Pat Lockett's delicious
home baked cookies. Mark your calen-
dar! Plan Ahead! Our next Blood Drive will be
on May 19. Did you know that 3 or 4 people
can be helped with one donation? Blood can
be donated every 8 weeks. You can make a
difference with this important Congregational
Care outreach program!
First Congregational
Learning Center
UCCDG News!
The First Congregational Learning Center has opened
it’s registration for the 2015-16 school year. Also, we
are taking names for the Infant/Toddler program. If
you are interested, please contact Sue at sue-
[email protected] or [email protected] If you want
more information , contact Sue or Radika. A tour of
our facilities is always welcome. Also, the FCLC is
having a “Warm Winter Gathering” on February 15
from 4:00PM-6:00PM. We”ll
have dinner, play games and
make crafts, while getting to
know one another. Church fami-
lies are welcome to join the fun.
The first Sunday in each month, a nurse is waiting to check your blood pressure in the church Library. No appointment is needed-- just show up!
Check Your Blood Pressure
Page 15
First Congregational UCC * 1047 Curtiss Street * Downers Grove, IL 60515 Phone: (630) 968.0358
Email: [email protected] Website: www.uccdg.org * Broadcast: www.uccbroadcastministry.org
Other Communications: www.twitter.com/uccdg * www.facebook.com/uccdg
FCC Learning Center: www.facebook.com/fdcdg
Our Church Staff
The Rev. Scott Oberle, Senior Minister.………………..………[email protected] Rev. Rix Thorsell, Associate Minister.…………………….…[email protected] Sanders, Minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation…….… [email protected] Molina, Minister of Music and Media……………………..…[email protected] Carini, Assistant to the Minister of Music.…………….….…[email protected] Barker, Director of Children’s Ministries……………….….……[email protected] McFarland Administrative Secretary……………….….…[email protected] Mazzone, Bookkeeper……………………………………..…[email protected] Lorek, Custodian/Maintenance Supervisor……………………..…[email protected] Larsen, Director, First Congregational Learning Center…[email protected] Jungwirth, Admin. Asst, First Cong. Learning Center……. [email protected] Humphreys, Dir, Two Way Street Coffee House ………[email protected] Hammack, A-V Specialist…………………………………………[email protected] Rev. Dr. Robert D. Schieler, Pastor Emeritus
NOTE: We are trying to make a conscious effort to reduce our per month printing. (see page 1 of Pilgrim) If you would like to discontinue your monthly paper issue please contact Leslie at 630.968.0358. Thank you.