Dear Friends,
Believe it or not, my favorite flower is the dandelion. When I was a teen we owned a house that had a large lawn and many dandelions. My father would ask the three of us, myself and my siblings, to pull a bag’s worth before dinner each night. Remember this was way before companies like, “Chem Lawn.” While my aunt was visiting I overheard her say to my father, “How did you get those beautiful yellow flowers to grow in your lawn?” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What is a weed to some is a beautiful flower to another. My aunt caught my attention. The reason I like dandelions is that they remind me to count my blessings. In daily life, it is easy to get caught up in catching up, getting ahead or being overwhelmed by the details of life and miss the beauty around us, God’s blessings around us.
Two types of prayers are adoration and thanksgiving. When was the last time you simply prayed a prayer of adoration or thanksgiving? Most of my prayers are those of supplication (asking), and intercession (asking for others). On the way to the church this morning I saw a few lawns that had dandelions. They reminded me that one person’s weed is another person’s flower. When you were a child, did you ever blow the seeds of a dandelion and make a wish? Was it fun? Perhaps we might try blowing the seeds of praise and thanksgiving in our prayers each day. Take it from here.
Love, Wendy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
YOUNG ADULT GROUP: We’ve had to change our next gathering from April 28 to Monday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Wendy and Blair’s. So don’t come tonight, but let us know if you are coming on the 10th so we’ll have a place set for you.
SOLACE SINGLES will have a potluck in the church parlor this Friday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. We will be sharing our favorite dishes and discussing future plans.
ONE LAST CHANCE TO BUY FLOWER BULBS FOR VBS: We will be accepting late orders through this Sunday, May 2, at 11:00 a.m. You need to EMAIL Chris Kozich (christina@hhwv.net) to let her know! (Simply dropping off an order at church is not sufficient!) So if you didn’t get them in on time, here’s your second chance. Spruce up your garden and support Vacation Bible School at the same time!
The MIDDLE SCHOOL SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS taught by Dan Bohi and Steve Johnson will be meeting at Panera Bread this Sunday, May 2. We will meet in the narthex before church, and leave together at 9:30 a.m. We will return around 10:30. Parents, if you have not yet turned in a permission slip, please see Mr. Johnson or Mr. Bohi before entering the sanctuary Sunday morning.
FELLOWSHIP EVENT: FIESTA! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us on Sunday, May 2, following worship. We’ll have a breakfast taco buffet and breakfast sangria, Mexican hat dance, piñata, serape and shaker painting, and more. It’ll be fun for all ages! Put it on your calendar now!
MISSION:
Everyone loves home-baked goodies! You can bring some joy to hospice patients and their families, as well as patients in CNS Hospice’s Geriatric Assistance Program, by participating in BUNS: (BAKING UP NICE SURPRISES). Baked goods can be brought to church this Sunday, May 2, or dropped to the narthex by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 3, for delivery to CNS Hospice. Remember NO ICED items! Please package your goodies in individual of 2-3 cookies, muffins, or brownies. What a delicious and loving way to reach out to families during a difficult time. Sign up on the Mission board in the narthex today… or just bring your goodies this Sunday!
This Sunday, and the first Sunday of every month, is the day we bring OFFERINGS FOR THE PEOPLE’S RESOURCE CENTER. The May emphasis is tuna fish. Donations can be placed in the narthex (near the stairwell to Fellowship Hall).
WOMEN’S BREAKFAST meets the first Monday of the month at 8:00 a.m. at IHOP in Danada. The next gathering is this coming Monday, May 3. All women are invited, and we’re always happy to have new friends join us!
JUBILEE 2011: The 50th Anniversary Planning Team needs your ideas for our big Jubilee celebration during 2011. We will meet on Thursday evening, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Parlor. Come join us if you are interested in the 50th Anniversary Planning Team or if you would like to assist with a particular celebration event. Contacts are Sue Clary (630-790-1109, (sueclary@sbcglobal.net ) or Pat Wiedner (630-858-0761, (pjwiedner@hotmail.com ).
RUMMAGE SALE is coming! Price stickers are available on the name tag shelf. Please price your donations and bring them to church starting Sunday, May 9. (Please not before then; we don’t have enough storage space.)
The RUMMAGE SALE AND CAR WASH will be Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16. Mark your calendar now!
WOMEN’S CIRCLE MAY LUNCHEON: On Friday, May 21, at 11:30 a.m. we will have lunch at Mykha’s Restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn. The buffet lunch is $10.00. Mykha, the restaurant’s owner, has agreed to talk to us about her life experiences. ALL women of the church are invited to attend. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASS: See the note above about going to Panera Bread this Sunday morning. You MUST have a permission slip signed to be able to go!
BULB ORDERS: See that note above, too. (You may still order but only if you email Chris Kozich and give her the details by this Sunday.)
PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SUNDAY (May 16): Children in pre-school through grade 3 begin their Sunday School Class with a short singing practice. They are learning “Jubilee!” Grades 4 and 5 are learning a hand-chime part to play with it.
SWEET TOMATOES FOR VBS! On Wednesday May 19, stop by Sweet Tomatoes (in Lombard on Highland Ave.) and help support Southminster’s Vacation Bible School! Just grab a meal and a drink and 20% will be donated to our VBS program! Paper fliers are available on the CE bulletin board or just print off a copy of the file attached to the Dialog. (Note: You must have a flyer with you for your purchase to count.) Yummmm!
ACOLYTE Schedule:
May 9 - Nalani Johnson
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 9- No Sunday School (Mother’s Day)
May 16 - Youth Sunday
May 19- Sweet Tomatoes FunRaiser (5:00-8:00 p.m.)
May 23- Last day of Regular Sunday School
June 6 - Used Paperback Book Sale
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT EDUCATION: Our lectionary passages for this Sunday are Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; and John 13:31-35. Join us at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor for education and edification. -Blair
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY meets Sunday evenings at 7:00 in the parlor. with the first two chapters of Eugene Peterson’s “A Long Obedience in the Right Direction.” Please contact Ann Anderson (sylviasmother@sbcglobal.net, 630-469-2097) with any questions.
YOUTH: See you Sunday for SNL. Hopefully we can play outside this week.
MISSION TEAM: Our first pre-trip meeting is this Sunday, May 2, at 4:30. Bring you parents/legal guardian/responsible adult and $5 each for pizza. Let me know via facebook what your favorite soda is.
Peter Davidson has completed basic training and is now assigned to Ft. Lee, in Virginia. We will again have address labels available in the narthex area. Please send Peter notes, cards or post cards from your heart and home. Thanks.
OUR PAPER RECYCLING BIN IS HERE! We have signed up as a responsible community recycling member with Paper Retriever recycling. Paper Retriever is an easy, free, community-based program that wraps recycling and fund raising into one neat package. The money we raise here will go toward our Mission Ministries.
You can’t miss the large green and yellow bin in our gravel overflow parking lot. You may start bringing paper any time! These items are acceptable: Newspaper; Magazines; Shopping Catalogs; Junk Mail; Office & School Papers, Church Bulletins; White Envelopes (with or without windows).
Items that are NOT allowed: Cardboard; Cereal/Soda Cartons; Food wrap/containers; Tissue Products; Phone Books; Cross-cut shredded paper (strip-cut shredded paper is OK if you put it in a paper bag); Glass; Plastic; Metal; Trash.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
April 21, 2010
Scripture: John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Dear Friends,
I was talking to a member of the congregation today who commented about a building project at another church more than fifty years ago. He said, “You know some Christians aren’t too loving toward one another.” What would you have said to that? What could I say? I just smiled and sighed and said, “Yup.” The more things change the more they remain the same. Jesus said that we would be known by our love. Would anyone mistake you for a follower of Jesus Christ?
Now if Jesus had only said, “By loving some or loving when it is easy or loving people we agree with... all will know that you are my disciples.” That would have made living our faith a whole lot easier. But Jesus didn’t say that. In fact, sometimes it is those closest to us who are hardest to love.
Some people find the proposition that we are saved by grace and not works as “too easy.” I wonder if they have tried it. The first step, accepting God’s grace and love freely, is easy. It’s the following steps that are difficult. After all, if we accept a free gift for ourselves, shouldn’t everyone else have a free gift of grace as well? And that is where it gets tough. Everybody else is saved by grace as well. “Jesus loves me” is true, and “Jesus loves them” is equally true. It is as GK Chesterton says, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
The difficulty is in being a disciple, someone who loves, who forgives, and is humble in the recognition that whatever we do we do by the grace of God found in Jesus Christ. So, how is that “loving one another” part of discipleship working for you? The first step is to remember that God’s love for you is not because you have done anything other than being born. We don’t earn love; it is simply given to us. The second step is to look at a sister or brother in Christ and remember that Jesus Christ truly values that person and loves him or her as much as he loves you. The third and constant step is to ask Christ to help you see him or her as he sees him or her. Pray for, ask for the “eyes of Christ” when you look at others. Perhaps then we will have the honor of being mistaken as a follower of Christ. Take it from here.
Love, Wendy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Did you forget the DIALOG DEADLINE yesterday? Don’t wait a moment longer! Get your article or calendar item in now and all will be well.
Quilters, and quilter-wanna-be’s, the QUILT MINISTRY meets tonight (Wednesday, April 21) at 7:30 p.m. For this month only we’ll be in the narthex. No experience needed and nothing to bring. We’ll have everything that’s needed, and it will be fun! Join us!
MISSION:
REBUILDING TOGETHER AURORA: Every year we gather a work team in April to rehab the home of a needy family in Aurora through Rebuilding Together Aurora (formerly Christmas in April). We need volunteers for this Saturday - no special skills required (but if you do have special skills, we’d love to know in advance for planning purposes). Please look for the photo display and sign-up sheets in the narthex or talk to our House Captain Norm Ellsworth.
Presbytery of Chicago PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S SPRING GATHERING will be held this Saturday, April 24, at First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield. The event is free, but there is an $8.00 luncheon fee. We will meet in the Southminster parking lot to carpool to the event. Be ready to leave at 8:15 a.m. A sign-up sheet with information is on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
FLOWER BULBS FOR VBS: Please turn in your flower bulb orders by Monday, April 26. If you do not turn in your order form by noon this Sunday, please CALL Chris Kozich (630-545-1237) to be sure that she has your order. To make sure that the bulbs arrive as soon as possible, the Christian Education ministry will be ordering the bulbs on Tuesday, April 27.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will start this Sunday, April 25, at 7:00 p.m. in the parlor with the first two chapters of Eugene Peterson’s “A Long Obedience in the Right Direction.” Please contact Ann Anderson (sylviasmother@sbcglobal.net, 630-469-2097) if interested in joining us.
YOUNG ADULT GROUP: We’ve had to change our next gathering from April 28 to Monday, May 10! 6:30 p.m. at Wendy and Blair’s; let us know if you are coming so we’ll have a place set for you.
FIESTA! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us on Sunday, May 2, following worship. We’ll have a breakfast taco buffet and breakfast sangria, Mexican hat dance, piñata, serape and shaker painting, and more. It’ll be fun for all ages! Put it on your calendar now!
WOMEN’S CIRCLE MAY LUNCHEON: On Friday, May 21, at 11:30 a.m. we will have lunch at Mykha’s Restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn. The buffet lunch is $10.00. Mykha, the restaurant’s owner, has agreed to talk to us about her life experiences. ALL women of the church are invited to attend. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
NEW CHURCH OFFICERS
TRAINING DATES:
Wednesday, April 21, 6:00 p.m. (Note: This training replaces the meeting originally planned for next Wednesday)
Wednesday, May 12, 7:00 p.m.
MEET WITH SESSION on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m.
RUMMAGE SALE: Save your stuff for the Rummage Sale fund raiser in support of the Youth Mission Trip. We’re asking you to mark you donations with prices as we did last year. Look for price stickers to pick up starting this Sunday. They will be in a display stand on the name-tag shelf. This saves us a huge amount of work. Thanks to you all for your cooperation.
The RUMMAGE SALE AND CAR WASH will be Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16. Mark your calendar now!
SOLACE SINGLES will have a potluck in the church parlor on Friday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. We will be sharing our favorite dishes and discussing future plans.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SUNDAY (May 16): Children in pre-school through grade 3 begin their Sunday School Class with a short singing practice. They are learning “Jubilee!” Grades 4 and 5 are learning a handchime part to play with it.
SWEET TOMATOES FOR VBS! On Wednesday May 19, stop by Sweet Tomatoes (in Lombard on Highland Ave.) and help support Southminster’s Vacation Bible School! Just grab a meal and a drink and 20% will be donated to our VBS program! Paper fliers are available on the CE bulletin board or just print off a copy of the file attached to the Dialog. (Note: You must have a flyer with you for your purchase to count.) Yummmm!
ACOLYTE Schedule:
April 25 - Haley Jablonski
May 9 - Nalani Johnson
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 9- No Sunday School (Mother's Day)
May 16 - Youth Sunday
May 19- Sweet Tomatoes FunRaiser (5:00-8:00 p.m.)
May 23- Last day of Regular Sunday School
June 6 - Used Paperback Book Sale
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT EDUCATION: Our lectionary passages for this Sunday are Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; and John 10:22-30. Join us at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor for education and edification. -Blair
YOUTH: SNL Sunday, usual time and place. Weather permitting, we will play outside, again. Remember, May 15-16 is a BIG weekend, Rummage Sale and Youth Sunday, so mark your calendars.
Peter Davidson has completed basic training and is now assigned to Ft. Lee, in Virginia. We will again have address labels available in the narthex area. Please send Peter notes, cards or post cards from your heart and home. Thanks.
Southminster is going Green! We have recently signed up as a responsible community recycling member with Paper Retriever Recycling. Paper Retriever is an easy, free, community-based program that wraps recycling and fund-raising into one neat package. You will soon see the familiar green and yellow bin in our gravel overflow lot. Instead of paying for a monthly recycling service, the paper retriever service is free and can raise money if the paper volume is high enough. The benefits of recycling are obvious and we need participation of the entire Southminster family and surrounding community to make our program successful. Our program goal for recycle material is 2 tons a month (full bin). This seems like a lot, but it is very achievable if we all work together! Keep your eyes open for more information in upcoming E-notes and Dialog announcements. Stay tuned for instructions/training on how we will recycle and what types of material are allowed in the bin.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Dear Friends,
I was talking to a member of the congregation today who commented about a building project at another church more than fifty years ago. He said, “You know some Christians aren’t too loving toward one another.” What would you have said to that? What could I say? I just smiled and sighed and said, “Yup.” The more things change the more they remain the same. Jesus said that we would be known by our love. Would anyone mistake you for a follower of Jesus Christ?
Now if Jesus had only said, “By loving some or loving when it is easy or loving people we agree with... all will know that you are my disciples.” That would have made living our faith a whole lot easier. But Jesus didn’t say that. In fact, sometimes it is those closest to us who are hardest to love.
Some people find the proposition that we are saved by grace and not works as “too easy.” I wonder if they have tried it. The first step, accepting God’s grace and love freely, is easy. It’s the following steps that are difficult. After all, if we accept a free gift for ourselves, shouldn’t everyone else have a free gift of grace as well? And that is where it gets tough. Everybody else is saved by grace as well. “Jesus loves me” is true, and “Jesus loves them” is equally true. It is as GK Chesterton says, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
The difficulty is in being a disciple, someone who loves, who forgives, and is humble in the recognition that whatever we do we do by the grace of God found in Jesus Christ. So, how is that “loving one another” part of discipleship working for you? The first step is to remember that God’s love for you is not because you have done anything other than being born. We don’t earn love; it is simply given to us. The second step is to look at a sister or brother in Christ and remember that Jesus Christ truly values that person and loves him or her as much as he loves you. The third and constant step is to ask Christ to help you see him or her as he sees him or her. Pray for, ask for the “eyes of Christ” when you look at others. Perhaps then we will have the honor of being mistaken as a follower of Christ. Take it from here.
Love, Wendy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Did you forget the DIALOG DEADLINE yesterday? Don’t wait a moment longer! Get your article or calendar item in now and all will be well.
Quilters, and quilter-wanna-be’s, the QUILT MINISTRY meets tonight (Wednesday, April 21) at 7:30 p.m. For this month only we’ll be in the narthex. No experience needed and nothing to bring. We’ll have everything that’s needed, and it will be fun! Join us!
MISSION:
REBUILDING TOGETHER AURORA: Every year we gather a work team in April to rehab the home of a needy family in Aurora through Rebuilding Together Aurora (formerly Christmas in April). We need volunteers for this Saturday - no special skills required (but if you do have special skills, we’d love to know in advance for planning purposes). Please look for the photo display and sign-up sheets in the narthex or talk to our House Captain Norm Ellsworth.
Presbytery of Chicago PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S SPRING GATHERING will be held this Saturday, April 24, at First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield. The event is free, but there is an $8.00 luncheon fee. We will meet in the Southminster parking lot to carpool to the event. Be ready to leave at 8:15 a.m. A sign-up sheet with information is on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
FLOWER BULBS FOR VBS: Please turn in your flower bulb orders by Monday, April 26. If you do not turn in your order form by noon this Sunday, please CALL Chris Kozich (630-545-1237) to be sure that she has your order. To make sure that the bulbs arrive as soon as possible, the Christian Education ministry will be ordering the bulbs on Tuesday, April 27.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will start this Sunday, April 25, at 7:00 p.m. in the parlor with the first two chapters of Eugene Peterson’s “A Long Obedience in the Right Direction.” Please contact Ann Anderson (sylviasmother@sbcglobal.net, 630-469-2097) if interested in joining us.
YOUNG ADULT GROUP: We’ve had to change our next gathering from April 28 to Monday, May 10! 6:30 p.m. at Wendy and Blair’s; let us know if you are coming so we’ll have a place set for you.
FIESTA! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us on Sunday, May 2, following worship. We’ll have a breakfast taco buffet and breakfast sangria, Mexican hat dance, piñata, serape and shaker painting, and more. It’ll be fun for all ages! Put it on your calendar now!
WOMEN’S CIRCLE MAY LUNCHEON: On Friday, May 21, at 11:30 a.m. we will have lunch at Mykha’s Restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn. The buffet lunch is $10.00. Mykha, the restaurant’s owner, has agreed to talk to us about her life experiences. ALL women of the church are invited to attend. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
NEW CHURCH OFFICERS
TRAINING DATES:
Wednesday, April 21, 6:00 p.m. (Note: This training replaces the meeting originally planned for next Wednesday)
Wednesday, May 12, 7:00 p.m.
MEET WITH SESSION on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m.
RUMMAGE SALE: Save your stuff for the Rummage Sale fund raiser in support of the Youth Mission Trip. We’re asking you to mark you donations with prices as we did last year. Look for price stickers to pick up starting this Sunday. They will be in a display stand on the name-tag shelf. This saves us a huge amount of work. Thanks to you all for your cooperation.
The RUMMAGE SALE AND CAR WASH will be Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16. Mark your calendar now!
SOLACE SINGLES will have a potluck in the church parlor on Friday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. We will be sharing our favorite dishes and discussing future plans.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SUNDAY (May 16): Children in pre-school through grade 3 begin their Sunday School Class with a short singing practice. They are learning “Jubilee!” Grades 4 and 5 are learning a handchime part to play with it.
SWEET TOMATOES FOR VBS! On Wednesday May 19, stop by Sweet Tomatoes (in Lombard on Highland Ave.) and help support Southminster’s Vacation Bible School! Just grab a meal and a drink and 20% will be donated to our VBS program! Paper fliers are available on the CE bulletin board or just print off a copy of the file attached to the Dialog. (Note: You must have a flyer with you for your purchase to count.) Yummmm!
ACOLYTE Schedule:
April 25 - Haley Jablonski
May 9 - Nalani Johnson
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 9- No Sunday School (Mother's Day)
May 16 - Youth Sunday
May 19- Sweet Tomatoes FunRaiser (5:00-8:00 p.m.)
May 23- Last day of Regular Sunday School
June 6 - Used Paperback Book Sale
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT EDUCATION: Our lectionary passages for this Sunday are Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; and John 10:22-30. Join us at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor for education and edification. -Blair
YOUTH: SNL Sunday, usual time and place. Weather permitting, we will play outside, again. Remember, May 15-16 is a BIG weekend, Rummage Sale and Youth Sunday, so mark your calendars.
Peter Davidson has completed basic training and is now assigned to Ft. Lee, in Virginia. We will again have address labels available in the narthex area. Please send Peter notes, cards or post cards from your heart and home. Thanks.
Southminster is going Green! We have recently signed up as a responsible community recycling member with Paper Retriever Recycling. Paper Retriever is an easy, free, community-based program that wraps recycling and fund-raising into one neat package. You will soon see the familiar green and yellow bin in our gravel overflow lot. Instead of paying for a monthly recycling service, the paper retriever service is free and can raise money if the paper volume is high enough. The benefits of recycling are obvious and we need participation of the entire Southminster family and surrounding community to make our program successful. Our program goal for recycle material is 2 tons a month (full bin). This seems like a lot, but it is very achievable if we all work together! Keep your eyes open for more information in upcoming E-notes and Dialog announcements. Stay tuned for instructions/training on how we will recycle and what types of material are allowed in the bin.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
April 14, 2010
Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Dear Friends,
This past Sunday we read in John 20 and Revelation 1 about a Christian Community of faith being a place of forgiveness. We are given a choice between being healing priests or unforgiving victims. However, whenever I preach about forgiveness I always go shorter than I would like, and it was true this past week because there is so much to say. So, I would like to share the story of two “Lews.”
The first “Lew” is C.S. Lewis. In his book “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Philip Yancey recounts that during a conference on comparative religions held in Britain, an animated discussion arose as to what was Christianity’s unique contribution to world religion. The controversy continued unabated until C. S. Lewis, in learning of the issue at stake, replied: “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” Grace is a gift not only given by God to us, it is a gift that we share with one another as in the words from Our Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” There is no wiggle room in this. It is as Colossians says, we are forgiven and so we forgive. However, the good news is not just that we are forgiven, but there is a process to forgiveness. This brings us to our second “Lew.”
One of the best books on forgiveness is by Lewis Smedes, “Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve.” It is worth a read. He outlines five points:
1. When we forgive we set ourselves free.
2. Forgivers are not doormats. When we forgive we are not saying someone is right.
3. Forgiving is not sticking around for abuse.
4. We don’t have to wait for an apology to forgive.
5. And the most important part is that forgiving is a journey.
God doesn’t expect us to forgive in an instant. Frankly, I think that would be dishonest. Take time to acknowledge to yourself and to God that you have been wounded and hurt before you forgive. Afterward begin the difficult but worthwhile process of healing. There is so much more to say, but for now, take it from here!
Love, Wendy
P.S. Good News! At Assembly yesterday the Presbytery of Chicago voted to empower the council to sell the Presbyterian Camps property to the Lakeshore Christian Camping group and to allow them to raise money. Please pray that the LCC will be able to not only raise funds but fulfill their dreams of an extended ministry at Camp Saugatuck.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
All women are invited to join the WOMEN’S CIRCLE this Friday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. in the parlor. Pat Wiedner will present a program on the scriptural texts and musical settings of Mendelssohn’s oratorio, “Elijah.” The Circle will welcome guests from the Islamic Center of Naperville – Al Hidayah. Please bring new books for children from birth to 12 years of age. The books will be taken to the Presbytery’s PW Spring Gathering for a project they are sponsoring.
MISSION:
The Presbyterian Women’s Morning Circle is sponsoring a collection of ITEMS NEEDED BY FAMILY SHELTER SERVICES. We will have a collection box in the narthex through this Sunday, April 18, and we ask that any who can contribute to this collection. The items are as follows: lip gloss (clear-neutral); ladies’ deodorants; hair conditioners; shower gels; Lysol spray; dishwasher soap; liquid dish soap; garbage bags (white-13 gal. & black); Ziplock bags (gallon & quart). Take this list with you and look for bargains: buy-one-get-one-free offers and items on sale!
REBUILDING TOGETHER AURORA: Every year we gather a work team in April to rehab the home of a needy family in Aurora through Rebuilding Together Aurora (formerly Christmas in April). We need volunteers - no special skills required (but if you do have special skills, we’d love to know in advance for planning purposes). Please look for the photo display and sign-up sheets in the narthex or talk to our House Captain Norm Ellsworth.
Quilters, and quilter-wanna-be’s, the QUILT MINISTRY meets next Wednesday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. For this month only we’ll be in the narthex. No experience needed and nothing to bring. We’ll have everything that’s needed, and it will be fun! Join us!
Presbytery of Chicago PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S SPRING GATHERING will be held Saturday, April 24, at First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield. The event is free, but there is an $8.00 luncheon fee. We will meet in the Southminster parking lot to carpool to the event. Be ready to leave at 8:15 a.m. A sign-up sheet with information is on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
FIESTA! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us on Sunday, May 2, following worship. We’ll have a breakfast taco buffet and breakfast sangria, Mexican hat dance, piñata, serape and shaker painting, and more. It’ll be fun for all ages! Put it on your calendar now!
WOMEN’S CIRCLE MAY LUNCHEON: On Friday, May 21, at 11:30 a.m. we will have lunch at Mykha’s Restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn. The buffet lunch is $10.00. Mykha, the restaurant’s owner, has agreed to talk to us about her life experiences. ALL women of the church are invited to attend. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
NEW CHURCH OFFICERS
TRAINING DATES:
Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 28, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 p.m.
MEET WITH SESSION on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m.
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: Next Tuesday, April 20, is the deadline for the May Dialog.
RUMMAGE SALE: Save your stuff for the Rummage Sale fund raiser in support of the Youth Mission Trip. We’re asking you to mark you donations with prices as we did last year. Look for price stickers to pick up starting this Sunday. They will be in a display stand on the name-tag shelf. This saves us a huge amount of work. Thanks to you all for your cooperation.
SOLACE SINGLES will have a potluck in the church parlor on Friday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. We will be sharing our favorite dishes and discussing future plans.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
SECOND HELPINGS: Come join us after church THIS SUNDAY for Second Helpings! Second Helpings is an extra serving of Christian Education for the whole Church family, and ALL are welcome. Each week at 11:00 a.m., adults and children alike spend time learning about Christ, God, and themselves as they participate in either adult Bible study or children’s programming. This week the children will practice for youth Sunday (which will be May 16th). The day will conclude with a light lunch and fellowship, beginning at 11:45. Remember, everyone is invited, so don’t miss out on the fun!
PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SUNDAY: Children in pre-school through grade 3 begin their Sunday School Class with a short singing practice. They are learning “Jubilee!” Grades 4 and 5 are learning a handchime part to play with it.
SPRING BULB SALE: The deadline for the bulb sale is NEXT FRIDAY, APRIL 23RD!! We are selling Spring Bulbs to help raise money for this year’s Vacation Bible School. These beautiful bulbs from Dutch Mill Bulbs, selling for $6 each set, include strawberries, Stargazer Lilies, and Hostas, among others. The sale has begun, so grab an order form from the C.E. bulletin board in the narthex or talk to someone from Christian Ed to find out more! Get your orders in THIS WEEK!!
ACOLYTE Schedule:
April 25 - Haley Jablonski
May 9 - Nalani Johnson
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 9- No Sunday School (Mother's Day)
May 16 - Youth Sunday
June 6 - Used Book Sale
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT EDUCATION: Our lectionary passages for this Sunday are Acts 9:1-20, Revelation 5:11-14, and John 21:1-19. Join us at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor for education and edification. -Blair
YOUTH: SNL Sunday, usual time and place. Weather permitting, we will play outside, again. Remember, May 15-16 is a BIG weekend, Rummage Sale and Youth Sunday, so mark your calendars.
FORMATION OF SEARCH COMMITTEE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DIRECTOR AND YOUTH DIRECTOR: Steve Johnson has agreed to moderate a committee to identify candidates for Christian Education Director and Youth Director and make the appropriate recommendations to the Session. The candidates may be interested in a full-time position to cover both of these sets of responsibilities or they may be interested in a part-time position for either Christian Education Director or Youth Director. At present Steve is putting together a small committee to head up this process. Anyone who knows of someone who might be interested in one or both of these positions should contact Steve.
Peter Davidson has completed basic training and is now assigned to Ft. Lee, in Virginia. We will again have address labels available in the narthex area. Please send Peter notes, cards or post cards from your heart and home. Thanks.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Dear Friends,
This past Sunday we read in John 20 and Revelation 1 about a Christian Community of faith being a place of forgiveness. We are given a choice between being healing priests or unforgiving victims. However, whenever I preach about forgiveness I always go shorter than I would like, and it was true this past week because there is so much to say. So, I would like to share the story of two “Lews.”
The first “Lew” is C.S. Lewis. In his book “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Philip Yancey recounts that during a conference on comparative religions held in Britain, an animated discussion arose as to what was Christianity’s unique contribution to world religion. The controversy continued unabated until C. S. Lewis, in learning of the issue at stake, replied: “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” Grace is a gift not only given by God to us, it is a gift that we share with one another as in the words from Our Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” There is no wiggle room in this. It is as Colossians says, we are forgiven and so we forgive. However, the good news is not just that we are forgiven, but there is a process to forgiveness. This brings us to our second “Lew.”
One of the best books on forgiveness is by Lewis Smedes, “Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve.” It is worth a read. He outlines five points:
1. When we forgive we set ourselves free.
2. Forgivers are not doormats. When we forgive we are not saying someone is right.
3. Forgiving is not sticking around for abuse.
4. We don’t have to wait for an apology to forgive.
5. And the most important part is that forgiving is a journey.
God doesn’t expect us to forgive in an instant. Frankly, I think that would be dishonest. Take time to acknowledge to yourself and to God that you have been wounded and hurt before you forgive. Afterward begin the difficult but worthwhile process of healing. There is so much more to say, but for now, take it from here!
Love, Wendy
P.S. Good News! At Assembly yesterday the Presbytery of Chicago voted to empower the council to sell the Presbyterian Camps property to the Lakeshore Christian Camping group and to allow them to raise money. Please pray that the LCC will be able to not only raise funds but fulfill their dreams of an extended ministry at Camp Saugatuck.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
All women are invited to join the WOMEN’S CIRCLE this Friday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. in the parlor. Pat Wiedner will present a program on the scriptural texts and musical settings of Mendelssohn’s oratorio, “Elijah.” The Circle will welcome guests from the Islamic Center of Naperville – Al Hidayah. Please bring new books for children from birth to 12 years of age. The books will be taken to the Presbytery’s PW Spring Gathering for a project they are sponsoring.
MISSION:
The Presbyterian Women’s Morning Circle is sponsoring a collection of ITEMS NEEDED BY FAMILY SHELTER SERVICES. We will have a collection box in the narthex through this Sunday, April 18, and we ask that any who can contribute to this collection. The items are as follows: lip gloss (clear-neutral); ladies’ deodorants; hair conditioners; shower gels; Lysol spray; dishwasher soap; liquid dish soap; garbage bags (white-13 gal. & black); Ziplock bags (gallon & quart). Take this list with you and look for bargains: buy-one-get-one-free offers and items on sale!
REBUILDING TOGETHER AURORA: Every year we gather a work team in April to rehab the home of a needy family in Aurora through Rebuilding Together Aurora (formerly Christmas in April). We need volunteers - no special skills required (but if you do have special skills, we’d love to know in advance for planning purposes). Please look for the photo display and sign-up sheets in the narthex or talk to our House Captain Norm Ellsworth.
Quilters, and quilter-wanna-be’s, the QUILT MINISTRY meets next Wednesday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. For this month only we’ll be in the narthex. No experience needed and nothing to bring. We’ll have everything that’s needed, and it will be fun! Join us!
Presbytery of Chicago PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S SPRING GATHERING will be held Saturday, April 24, at First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield. The event is free, but there is an $8.00 luncheon fee. We will meet in the Southminster parking lot to carpool to the event. Be ready to leave at 8:15 a.m. A sign-up sheet with information is on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
FIESTA! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us on Sunday, May 2, following worship. We’ll have a breakfast taco buffet and breakfast sangria, Mexican hat dance, piñata, serape and shaker painting, and more. It’ll be fun for all ages! Put it on your calendar now!
WOMEN’S CIRCLE MAY LUNCHEON: On Friday, May 21, at 11:30 a.m. we will have lunch at Mykha’s Restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn. The buffet lunch is $10.00. Mykha, the restaurant’s owner, has agreed to talk to us about her life experiences. ALL women of the church are invited to attend. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board nearest the parlor.
NEW CHURCH OFFICERS
TRAINING DATES:
Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 28, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 p.m.
MEET WITH SESSION on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m.
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: Next Tuesday, April 20, is the deadline for the May Dialog.
RUMMAGE SALE: Save your stuff for the Rummage Sale fund raiser in support of the Youth Mission Trip. We’re asking you to mark you donations with prices as we did last year. Look for price stickers to pick up starting this Sunday. They will be in a display stand on the name-tag shelf. This saves us a huge amount of work. Thanks to you all for your cooperation.
SOLACE SINGLES will have a potluck in the church parlor on Friday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. We will be sharing our favorite dishes and discussing future plans.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
SECOND HELPINGS: Come join us after church THIS SUNDAY for Second Helpings! Second Helpings is an extra serving of Christian Education for the whole Church family, and ALL are welcome. Each week at 11:00 a.m., adults and children alike spend time learning about Christ, God, and themselves as they participate in either adult Bible study or children’s programming. This week the children will practice for youth Sunday (which will be May 16th). The day will conclude with a light lunch and fellowship, beginning at 11:45. Remember, everyone is invited, so don’t miss out on the fun!
PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SUNDAY: Children in pre-school through grade 3 begin their Sunday School Class with a short singing practice. They are learning “Jubilee!” Grades 4 and 5 are learning a handchime part to play with it.
SPRING BULB SALE: The deadline for the bulb sale is NEXT FRIDAY, APRIL 23RD!! We are selling Spring Bulbs to help raise money for this year’s Vacation Bible School. These beautiful bulbs from Dutch Mill Bulbs, selling for $6 each set, include strawberries, Stargazer Lilies, and Hostas, among others. The sale has begun, so grab an order form from the C.E. bulletin board in the narthex or talk to someone from Christian Ed to find out more! Get your orders in THIS WEEK!!
ACOLYTE Schedule:
April 25 - Haley Jablonski
May 9 - Nalani Johnson
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 9- No Sunday School (Mother's Day)
May 16 - Youth Sunday
June 6 - Used Book Sale
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT EDUCATION: Our lectionary passages for this Sunday are Acts 9:1-20, Revelation 5:11-14, and John 21:1-19. Join us at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor for education and edification. -Blair
YOUTH: SNL Sunday, usual time and place. Weather permitting, we will play outside, again. Remember, May 15-16 is a BIG weekend, Rummage Sale and Youth Sunday, so mark your calendars.
FORMATION OF SEARCH COMMITTEE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DIRECTOR AND YOUTH DIRECTOR: Steve Johnson has agreed to moderate a committee to identify candidates for Christian Education Director and Youth Director and make the appropriate recommendations to the Session. The candidates may be interested in a full-time position to cover both of these sets of responsibilities or they may be interested in a part-time position for either Christian Education Director or Youth Director. At present Steve is putting together a small committee to head up this process. Anyone who knows of someone who might be interested in one or both of these positions should contact Steve.
Peter Davidson has completed basic training and is now assigned to Ft. Lee, in Virginia. We will again have address labels available in the narthex area. Please send Peter notes, cards or post cards from your heart and home. Thanks.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
April 7, 2010
Romans 5:17-18
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.”
Dear Friends,
I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God evident at Southminster. All week long leading up to our Easter Saturday Family Party the sun shined bright! However, come Saturday we had drizzle and rain. One man with a big smile on his face put it this way, “God is good to us to let it rain early so there wouldn’t be a big debate about inside or out!” What a wonderful attitude! And the goodness of God overflowed as thousands of Easter eggs covered our sanctuary. The crowd of attendees seemed positive and happy despite the rain outside.
Sunday’s fellowship was warm and friendly as well. The decorations were delightful! The deacons outdid themselves. The choir’s gift of song was glorious! God’s words came through their musical offering. Contributions to “One Great Hour of Sharing” exceeded last year! And the children collected enough money for Heifer to buy 125 chicks! How very generous! The abundance of God’s love in you all is joyous.
Easter is a season in the church calendar, not just one day. Now is the time for us to unpack, renew, and live into our faith, a faith that the apostle Paul expressed in the book of Romans as “God’s abundant provision of grace.” Our abundance of grace was clear this past weekend. Just think how much more God’s abundant grace is available to all of us. Live into grace and take it from here.
Love, Wendy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We pray for comfort for Ron and Camille Grabski and family on the death of Ron’s mother, Stella. Visitation will be Friday, April 9, from 3:00-8:00 p.m. at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Avenue (Route 53), Lisle, with the funeral on Saturday, April 10, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 820 Division St., Lisle.
MISSION:
The Presbyterian Women’s Morning Circle is sponsoring a collection of ITEMS NEEDED BY FAMILY SHELTER SERVICES. We will have a collection box in the narthex starting this Sunday, April 11, and we ask that any who can contribute to this collection. The items are as follows: lip gloss (clear-neutral); ladies’ deodorants; hair conditioners; shower gels; Lysol spray; dishwasher soap; liquid dish soap; garbage bags (white-13 gal. & black); Ziplock bags (gallon & quart).
REBUILDING TOGETHER AURORA: Every year we gather a work team in April to rehab the home of a needy family in Aurora through Rebuilding Together Aurora (formerly Christmas in April). We need volunteers - no special skills required (but if you do have special skills, we’d love to know in advance for planning purposes). Please look for the photo display and sign-up sheets in the narthex or talk to our House Captain Norm Ellsworth.
NEW CHURCH OFFICERS
TRAINING DATES:
Sunday, April 11, 6:00 p.m.,
Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 28, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 p.m.
MEET WITH SESSION on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m.
FORMATION OF SEARCH COMMITTEE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DIRECTOR AND YOUTH DIRECTOR: Steve Johnson has agreed to moderate a committee to identify candidates for Christian Education Director and Youth Director and make the appropriate recommendations to the Session. The candidates may be interested in a full-time position to cover both of these sets of responsibilities or they may be interested in a part-time position for either Christian Education Director or Youth Director. At present Steve is putting together a small committee to head up this process. Anyone who knows of someone who might be interested in one or both of these positions should contact Steve.
All women are invited to join the WOMEN’S CIRCLE on Friday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. in the parlor. Pat Wiedner will present a program on the scriptural texts and musical settings of Mendelssohn’s oratorio, “Elijah.” The Circle will welcome guests from the Islamic Center of Naperville – Al Hidayah.
SOLACE SINGLES will have a potluck in the church parlor on Friday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. We will be sharing our favorite dishes and discussing future plans.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SUNDAY: Children in pre-school through grade 3 begin their Sunday School Class with a short singing practice. They are learning “Jubilee!” Grades 4 and 5 will be given handchime parts to play this Sunday at the beginning of Sunday School.
SPRING BULB SALE: We are selling Spring Bulbs to help raise money for this year’s Vacation Bible School. These beautiful bulbs from Dutch Mill Bulbs, selling for $6 each set, include strawberries, Stargazer Lilies, and Hostas, among others. The sale has begun, so grab an order form from the C.E. bulletin board in the narthex or talk to someone from Christian Ed to find out more!
EASTER BREAKFAST: Thanks to your donations of time and delicious food, the Easter breakfast was a success. Thanks to everyone who made the breakfast possible!
ACOLYTE Schedule:
April 11 - Dakota Dolister
April 25 - Haley Jablonski
May 9 - Nalani Johnson
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 16 - Youth Sunday
June 6 - Used Book Sale
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT EDUCATION: Our lectionary passages for this Sunday are Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8, and John 20: 19-31. Join us at 11:00 a.m. in the Parlor for thoughtful conversation and study, and laughter, too. -Blair
YOUTH:
SNL on Sunday, usual time and place. We will be picking some hymns for Youth Sunday’s service, so come with your favorites.
MISSION TRIPPERS: Please turn in your deposit for the Mission Trip to Rushville.
RUMMAGE SALE: Save your stuff for the Rummage Sale fund raiser in support of the Youth Mission Trip. We’re asking you to mark your donations with prices as we did last year. Look for price stickers to pick up starting this Sunday. They will be in a display stand on the name-tag shelf. Doing the pricing yourself saves us a huge amount of work. But please, keep your donations at home until we ask for them; we have no place to store everything at church! Thanks to you all for your cooperation.
Peter Davidson has completed basic training! He wrote to Southminster:
“Thank you for all of your cards & letters. They made standing in formation waiting for mail call every night a little more exciting. The Valentine’s & St. Patrick’s Day cards were reminders of the outside world, as holidays and even events like the Super Bowl were little more than conversation up in the bays. I look forward to AIT and the letters I will continue to receive while there. I cannot wait to hear from everyone again.”
-Peter Davidson
Peter is now assigned to Ft. Lee, in Virginia. We will again have address labels available in the narthex area. Please send Peter notes, cards or post cards from your heart and home. Thanks.
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.”
Dear Friends,
I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God evident at Southminster. All week long leading up to our Easter Saturday Family Party the sun shined bright! However, come Saturday we had drizzle and rain. One man with a big smile on his face put it this way, “God is good to us to let it rain early so there wouldn’t be a big debate about inside or out!” What a wonderful attitude! And the goodness of God overflowed as thousands of Easter eggs covered our sanctuary. The crowd of attendees seemed positive and happy despite the rain outside.
Sunday’s fellowship was warm and friendly as well. The decorations were delightful! The deacons outdid themselves. The choir’s gift of song was glorious! God’s words came through their musical offering. Contributions to “One Great Hour of Sharing” exceeded last year! And the children collected enough money for Heifer to buy 125 chicks! How very generous! The abundance of God’s love in you all is joyous.
Easter is a season in the church calendar, not just one day. Now is the time for us to unpack, renew, and live into our faith, a faith that the apostle Paul expressed in the book of Romans as “God’s abundant provision of grace.” Our abundance of grace was clear this past weekend. Just think how much more God’s abundant grace is available to all of us. Live into grace and take it from here.
Love, Wendy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We pray for comfort for Ron and Camille Grabski and family on the death of Ron’s mother, Stella. Visitation will be Friday, April 9, from 3:00-8:00 p.m. at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Avenue (Route 53), Lisle, with the funeral on Saturday, April 10, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 820 Division St., Lisle.
MISSION:
The Presbyterian Women’s Morning Circle is sponsoring a collection of ITEMS NEEDED BY FAMILY SHELTER SERVICES. We will have a collection box in the narthex starting this Sunday, April 11, and we ask that any who can contribute to this collection. The items are as follows: lip gloss (clear-neutral); ladies’ deodorants; hair conditioners; shower gels; Lysol spray; dishwasher soap; liquid dish soap; garbage bags (white-13 gal. & black); Ziplock bags (gallon & quart).
REBUILDING TOGETHER AURORA: Every year we gather a work team in April to rehab the home of a needy family in Aurora through Rebuilding Together Aurora (formerly Christmas in April). We need volunteers - no special skills required (but if you do have special skills, we’d love to know in advance for planning purposes). Please look for the photo display and sign-up sheets in the narthex or talk to our House Captain Norm Ellsworth.
NEW CHURCH OFFICERS
TRAINING DATES:
Sunday, April 11, 6:00 p.m.,
Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 28, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 p.m.
MEET WITH SESSION on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m.
FORMATION OF SEARCH COMMITTEE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DIRECTOR AND YOUTH DIRECTOR: Steve Johnson has agreed to moderate a committee to identify candidates for Christian Education Director and Youth Director and make the appropriate recommendations to the Session. The candidates may be interested in a full-time position to cover both of these sets of responsibilities or they may be interested in a part-time position for either Christian Education Director or Youth Director. At present Steve is putting together a small committee to head up this process. Anyone who knows of someone who might be interested in one or both of these positions should contact Steve.
All women are invited to join the WOMEN’S CIRCLE on Friday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. in the parlor. Pat Wiedner will present a program on the scriptural texts and musical settings of Mendelssohn’s oratorio, “Elijah.” The Circle will welcome guests from the Islamic Center of Naperville – Al Hidayah.
SOLACE SINGLES will have a potluck in the church parlor on Friday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. We will be sharing our favorite dishes and discussing future plans.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
PRACTICE FOR YOUTH SUNDAY: Children in pre-school through grade 3 begin their Sunday School Class with a short singing practice. They are learning “Jubilee!” Grades 4 and 5 will be given handchime parts to play this Sunday at the beginning of Sunday School.
SPRING BULB SALE: We are selling Spring Bulbs to help raise money for this year’s Vacation Bible School. These beautiful bulbs from Dutch Mill Bulbs, selling for $6 each set, include strawberries, Stargazer Lilies, and Hostas, among others. The sale has begun, so grab an order form from the C.E. bulletin board in the narthex or talk to someone from Christian Ed to find out more!
EASTER BREAKFAST: Thanks to your donations of time and delicious food, the Easter breakfast was a success. Thanks to everyone who made the breakfast possible!
ACOLYTE Schedule:
April 11 - Dakota Dolister
April 25 - Haley Jablonski
May 9 - Nalani Johnson
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 16 - Youth Sunday
June 6 - Used Book Sale
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT EDUCATION: Our lectionary passages for this Sunday are Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8, and John 20: 19-31. Join us at 11:00 a.m. in the Parlor for thoughtful conversation and study, and laughter, too. -Blair
YOUTH:
SNL on Sunday, usual time and place. We will be picking some hymns for Youth Sunday’s service, so come with your favorites.
MISSION TRIPPERS: Please turn in your deposit for the Mission Trip to Rushville.
RUMMAGE SALE: Save your stuff for the Rummage Sale fund raiser in support of the Youth Mission Trip. We’re asking you to mark your donations with prices as we did last year. Look for price stickers to pick up starting this Sunday. They will be in a display stand on the name-tag shelf. Doing the pricing yourself saves us a huge amount of work. But please, keep your donations at home until we ask for them; we have no place to store everything at church! Thanks to you all for your cooperation.
Peter Davidson has completed basic training! He wrote to Southminster:
“Thank you for all of your cards & letters. They made standing in formation waiting for mail call every night a little more exciting. The Valentine’s & St. Patrick’s Day cards were reminders of the outside world, as holidays and even events like the Super Bowl were little more than conversation up in the bays. I look forward to AIT and the letters I will continue to receive while there. I cannot wait to hear from everyone again.”
-Peter Davidson
Peter is now assigned to Ft. Lee, in Virginia. We will again have address labels available in the narthex area. Please send Peter notes, cards or post cards from your heart and home. Thanks.
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