Dear Friends,
Do you recognize this?
Our mission is to provide a spiritual home where people can
- Encounter God as revealed in Jesus Christ,
- Worship, strengthen, and renew their faith,
- Educate themselves and their children according to the teachings of God, as expressed in the Bible, and
- Respond to God’s grace by living as God’s disciples and actively serving others.
It is our Mission Statement. It not only provides our roots, but also our wings.
It has been said that children need “Roots and Wings” in order to thrive. It’s true of everyone, I think, adult or child; we need the nourishment of our roots, our past, and our present in order for our dreams to take wing and fly. It is particularly true for a Church Family. We are rooted in Christ, fed by the Holy Sprit and the fellowship of believers.
This coming Saturday our church officers, the session and the deacons, are going to meet for a fall retreat at Hope Presbyterian Church. We will be looking at our roots, the things we are grateful for, and our dreams, what we sense God is calling us to be and do at Southminster.
I am so very grateful for the hearts of the session and deacon members being open to God and what God may be calling us to. Regarding our church family, I wonder what your roots may be. What gives you joy? What are you grateful for? What gives you energy and hope for the future? What are some of your dreams for your church family? Where would your dreams fly to?
Thanks be to God! We live rooted in love of Jesus Christ and fly on the wings of the Sprit. Please keep me and our officers in prayer for this Saturday. Take it from here!
Love, Wendy
P.S. The youth also need your prayers this weekend. They will be sleeping out this Saturday night for Sleep Out Saturday and then attending worship Sunday morning.
Did you know...?
...that President Woodrow Wilson was a son of a Presbyterian pastor and lifelong Presbyterian? In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations...” When you see a Vet remember to say, “Thank you!”
Announcements:
Our Young Adult Group starts tonight! (It was supposed to be last week but rescheduled due to Wendy’s illness.) Join us at Blair and Wendy’s from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. You still have time to call and let us know you’re coming so we can set a place at the table for you.
Youth! Great news! The weather forecast for Saturday night, Sleep Out Saturday, has been revised. The low temperature is expected to be 44 degrees, instead of the 21 degrees they were saying a couple of days ago! Please let Blair know ASAP if you are participating. We’ll meet at the church at 4:00 p.m. to build our houses and have dinner. Then go to the Rally downtown, then back to church for games ‘n’ stuff. We’ll spend the night and stay right through church. Hey, it will be real cool (lol).
Adult education: We will have our lectionary Bible study this Sunday, but not on November 15.
We’d like to stay in touch with our college students and young adults (for birthday and holiday greetings, invitations to gatherings over breaks, College Care packages later in the year, and things like that). Please update your college student or young adult’s mailing and email addresses so we can let them know we care. Thanks!
Christian Ed. Notes:
Christian Ed Ministry Meeting – this Sunday, November 8, at 11:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.
“Share the Spirit” - A vision for missions: Beginning Sunday, November 15, through Sunday, December 6, Sunday School classes and youth will be collecting new and gently used hats and mittens for the People’s Resource Center. Please bring these items in any time during the designated weeks and drop them off in the donation box in the narthex. Thank you in advance for your donations. (See the “Share the Spirit” notice below to see other ways to support this project.)
It will be here before you know it! CHRISTMAS PROGRAM – Sunday, December 13! Parts are being selected, and we need all children and youth to make a special effort to be at the only two rehearsals. The children and youth program for the November 15 “Second Helpings” will be dedicated to the Christmas Program rehearsal, Pre-K through high school, and will be coordinated by Suzanne Tennyson. We will begin rehearsal in the sanctuary directly after worship. Afterwards, the entire church family will follow the newly created “Second Helpings” tradition of a soup and bread supper. December 6 (directly after worship) will be the final dress rehearsal for the Christmas program.
Acolytes: Thank you to all children who expressed interested in serving as an Acolyte. A schedule will be sent out this week through the end of the school year. There are plenty of weeks open for service if your child is interested at a later time. Please contact Laura Baer at 630-469-9149 or smpcce@ameritech.net with any questions.
Music Ministry: Aside from the November 15 and December 6 Christmas Program rehearsals, Darlene Crilly will also be leading the children in additional rehearsal time on Sundays, directly after the Children’s Moment in Fellowship Hall. |
Candy for PRC: Thank you to all families who brought in their candy offering on Sunday for the People’s Resource Center.
What’s coming up in Christian Ed.?
November 15 – “Second Helpings”/Christmas Program Rehearsal
November 29 – No Sunday School
December 6 – Final Christmas Program Rehearsal (right after worship)
December 13 – Christmas Program
December 27 – No Sunday School
(There will be no “Second Helpings” in December.)
The Women’s Circle Used Book Sale will take place after church on November 15 in the narthex. For those donating books, please put them in the coat closet before the 15th. We would like to get hard- and soft-cover novels and children’s books – books that you would like to take home and read to yourself or your children. Please, no textbooks. The proceeds will go to the Women’s Circle to support their programs and mission. Linda Ellinghausen and Betsy Rogers are the co-chairs for this event.
“Share the Spirit” at Christmas! Once again Southminster is joining the People’s Resource Center in helping needy children in DuPage County have a brighter Christmas by buying toys or gift cards for children from ages 0 to 19. When you come to church on November 15, you’ll find a tree in the narthex with “ornaments” on it. The ornaments will have gift suggestions for the various age groups. Please take an ornament, select a gift, and bring it back unwrapped to the narthex any time from November 15 to December 6. The Mission Ministry thanks you for your support and the many needy children in DuPage County especially thank you for your outreach of love. (See the “Christian Ed. Notes” to see how children and youth can participate in this project.)
Southminster’s fourth annual Art Show is coming up! We’re looking for artists from our congregation who would like to share their work in our gallery from November 15, 2009 to January 18, 2010. Holiday hangings would be nice, but any work you are proud of would be fine: stitchery, painting, quilting, glass, photography, or whatever form of art you do. Items must be able to hang on our walls, and we’d like to ask that there be no repeats from last year. Contact Linda Ellinghausen (630-469-9039) or sign up in the narthex.
Presbyterian Women’s Thank Offering jars will be dedicated on Sunday, November 15, during the worship service. Please remember to bring your Thank Offering jar on Sunday morning. The Thank Offering gives women a tangible way to express their gratitude for the special blessings in their lives. But you don’t need to have a Thank Offering jar… or even be a woman… to support an offering that goes to projects such as agricultural development, child care, community organization, criminal justice, drug counseling, economic justice, elderly care, employment training, homelessness, literacy, violence, and women’s concerns. When the invitation is extended to bring the Thank Offering forward, please feel free to “give as you are blessed,” even if it’s simply the loose change in your pocket.
“Share the Spirit” at Christmas! Once again Southminster is joining the People’s Resource Center in helping needy children in DuPage County have a brighter Christmas by buying toys or gift cards for children from ages 0 to 19. When you come to church on November 15, you’ll find a tree in the narthex with “ornaments” on it. The ornaments will have gift suggestions for the various age groups. Please take an ornament, select a gift, and bring it back unwrapped to the narthex any time from November 15 to December 6. The Mission Ministry thanks you for your support and the many needy children in DuPage County especially thank you for your outreach of love. (See the “Christian Ed. Notes” to see how children and youth can participate in this project.)
Valet parking is available on Sundays for anyone who would like that service. In order for that offer to work, we need volunteers to assist with the parking! If you would like to volunteer to help with valet parking, there is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board as you enter the church.
For your calendar: Handel’s Messiah Performance will benefit Walk-In Ministry.
St. Petronille Catholic Church in downtown Glen Ellyn will host a community performance of Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, November 28, at 7:30 p.m. This is a joyful way to usher in the Christmas season. The proceeds from the free-will offering at the concert will benefit the Glen Ellyn Walk-In-Ministry. Please make plans to attend.
Community blood drive coming up on Wednesday, November 25. Donate blood this Thanksgiving and start your holiday shopping with a $10 Target GiftCard. The Heartland Blood Center mobile unit will be in Glen Ellyn from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the B. R. Ryall YMCA (1/2 block north of the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Lambert, just under the Glen Ellyn water tower). Donors will also receive a coupon good for $5.00 off at the YMCA Christmas tree sales trailer. Appointments are appreciated but walk-ins are welcome. Bring photo I.D.! Sign up online at www.heartlandbc.org or call Karen at 708-342-9773.
Marta Sundquist wrote us last week asking for prayers for her cousin, Scott. (He is the Scott mentioned in the Deacon Care Notes that follow.) “My cousin Scott Othoson had an intestine transplant this week. After a life time of the pain of Crohns disease, he has spent the last 8+ years with only 4 feet of intestine, requiring a daily ritual of 10+ hours on an IV to sustain himself. We are so thankful to God for giving him a successful surgery, and now must pray to help with the tremendous pain that comes with this surgery. Scott is a wonderful man, he not only embraces Gods love, but pours it out as well. Even on his tough days. Please pray for him.”
