Pastoral Letter FAITH EVANGELICAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NOVEMBER Creating Connections Through Extending Christ s Love

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1 Creating Connections Through Extending Christ s Love FAITH EVANGELICAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NOVEMBER 2018 Pastoral Letter Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 107:1 It is so good to greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my greatest hope that all of you are doing well and are being blessed. We are beginning the month of November with a heart full of thanksgiving. As Psalm 107 mentions, God has been good to us and his love has endured forever and is with us. We begin the month with good news because our boiler is finally turned on and heating our building very well. Thanks be to God and thank you to our trustees who have worked very hard for us to have heat in winter. Also, this past month, we fixed our bell tower. Thank you to all of you who were involved in that task. There is still a lot of work to do in our building, but I feel very confident that we will achieve all the work in its time. Please keep being faithful and generous to the work we have ahead. On November 2 nd, we will have our Harvest Home celebration. In it, we will have a wonderful meal, a worship service and a blessed opportunity to share with our gifts and contributions to the church. Please invite friends, family and people you know. We will have an awesome event. Also, in November we are having our church conference. Our church conference is our annual meeting where we review, evaluate and celebrate the total mission and ministry of the church (BOD ). Also, it is a time to come together, receive reports and adopt objectives and goals recommended by the church council that are in keeping with the objectives of the United Methodist Church. Our church conference will be held on November 25 th, during our regular worship service at 10 am. We will have the great privilege of having our District Superintendent Rev. Darneather Murph-Heath with us. She will be preaching during our service. So, I invite you and ask you to invite a friend. We will have lunch together after the service. I also invite you to be in prayer in this month of November. Be in prayer for our leadership and our church in general as we finish another year of ministry and as we begin another new year. Be in prayer for what God has for us in this coming year. Remember it is always good to begin the year with a refreshed and renewed mind, body and soul; prayer is a way to do that. May we be open for the many possibilities God has for us. God bless you and keep you always. See you soon! Sincerely, Pastor Uziel Hernandez

2 Ministry News Church Council Meeting Monday, November 12, 7 p.m. The Church Council will meet on Monday, November 7 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Rod Kingzette ( ). Hanging of the Greens Sunday, November 18, at 11:15 a.m. Come and join us for Hanging of the Greens following the worship service on November 18th. The Worship Committee will be in charge of decorating the sanctuary and the downstairs area. Please stay following the service to help in the decorating. With a lot of help we ll be done in no time at all! The Worship Committee will serve lunch after the work is done. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Mae Kingzette at Annual Church Conference on Sunday, November 25, 2018 following our worship service Save the date! On Sunday, November 25, District Superintendent Darneather Murph-Heath will be our guest preacher during our 10 a.m. worship service. Immediately following the service we will have our annual Church Conference with lunch to follow. - Chrysalis (Middle School and High School Youth) All students in 6th-12th grade are welcome to come join us Wednesday evenings in the Fellowship Hall from 7-8:30 pm for Bible Study, games, worship, and prayer. This Fall we are studying the parables and stories of Jesus! For more information please contact Joanna Leonor at (630) (call/ text)/dandilyons@gmail.com or Mae Kingzette at (708) Page 2

3 Educational & Service Opportunities News from the Church Library There are several new books in the Church Library. Don t forget we have books for teens and young adults as well. Also check out the Children s Library downstairs. We are a self serve library. Please sign you name on the card inside the book or video/dvd and file it in the card file according to the author s last name. I recently went to the Evangelical Church Library Conference held at College Church, in Wheaton. I was reminded once again at the conference the value of having a church library and the power of books to change lives. What a better way to not be conformed to the world and to renew your mind (Romans 12:2) by checking out a book from the church library. We have a great selection of fiction and non fiction books. Even though we have a small library, we do have a number of people who use the library. If anyone is willing to do book reviews, help with displaying the books and in general help with getting new books into the library, please let me know If you love to read and have an interest in the ministry of the Church Library, please contact me at janelaine3@comcast.net or If you know of a book you would like to see in the Church Library, please let me know that as well. Thanks for your help! Happy Reading! Jane Ahrens Book Discussion Group Monday, November 12, at 7:30 p.m. The Book Group will meet on Monday, November 12. at 7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall to discuss the book, Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. All are invited to join the group and bring a friend! For more information, contact Hannah Leonor at hannahwagle@gmail.com - Happy Heart Warmers Meeting November 1:15 p.m. Join the Happy Heart Warmers as they meet on Wednesday, November 14, at 1:15 p.m., at the home of Jane Ahrens, 393 North Kenilworth, Elmhurst. This group knits and crochets afghans and prayer shawls and donates them to various local and national missions and ministries. In winter, we also will be focusing on making hats for the Clothing Center at First United Methodist Church, here in Elmhurst. This is also a group that meets for Fellowship and spiritual encouragement. Invite your friends and neighbors to come and share in the time of fellowship and creativity! For more information, contact Cindy Bennish at or swcks6@yahoo.com Page 3

4 Outreach & Witness News Hat and Mitten Tree There will be a Christmas tree in the Fellowship Hall in November to collect mittens, scarves and hats. We will be delivering them to the Clothing Center at First United Methodist Church here in Elmhurst. Gently used coats will also be collected. There is always a great need for winter outwear as the weather gets colder. Help us support the work of our fellow United Methodists here in Elmhurst! ONE Prayer on November 3 & 17 WHEN: 1 st & 3 rd Saturdays of each month TIME: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. WHERE: Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road (just west of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital) Come and join the group as they pray for our community and our churches. Are you uncomfortable praying aloud? That is not a problem, still come. As we honor the Lord with our repentance, praises and requests you ll be blessed as well. It s a great way to begin a Saturday. - We will have the Extended Care Worship service on November 2:15 p.m. This is an ongoing ministry to the residents of Elmhurst Extended Care residents. Thanks to our volunteers Lola Magee, Alan Johnson, and Donna Larson who help on a regular basis. Also thanks to pianists Cindy Wohler and Bonnie Smith and to Pastor Uziel for delivering the message and giving communion to those attending. If you would like to help out with this important ministry, please contact Pastor Uziel at Pastorfeumc@gmail.com - Mission Focus for November: Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry This month our focus will be on the Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry. We are collecting canned and packaged food and paper products at our annual Harvest Home Dinner and worship service. Throughout the month of November we will be continuing to focus on collecting items especially personal hygiene products (shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) and paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.) These products always seem to be in high demand. The Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry distributed more than 400,000 pounds of food last year to residents in Elmhurst and the surrounding community. Residents can visit the pantry once a month and need to provide two proofs of identification with their current address in order to receive items. Thanks to Rich and Nancy Cichy who have been delivering our donations to the Food Pantry these past years. For more information, please go to Page 4

5 November 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 6:30 pm Harvest Home Dinner & Worship Service 3 8:30 am ONE Prayer Meeting 4 9 am Adult Study 10 am Worship Service 5 6 6:30 pm Board of Trustees 7 11 am Bible Study 7 pm Chrysalis 8 pm AA Group am Adult Study 10 am Worship Service 2:15 pm Extended Care Worship 12 7 pm Church Council 7:30 pm Book Group am Bible Study 1:15 pm HHW 7 pm Chrysalis 8 pm AA Group 15 Evening: Wedding Rehearsal :30 am ONE Prayer Meeting 3 pm Robbins/Artrip Wedding 18 9 am Adult Study 10 am Worship Service 11:15 am Hanging of the Greens 25 9 am Adult Study 10 am Worship Service Followed by our Annual Church Conference pm AA Group am Bible Study 7 pm Chrysalis 8 pm AA Group Page 5

6 FINANCIAL UPDATE 2018 Giving Statistics Income Has Exceeded Expenses Through September By $2412 Weekly Income Budget Date Income To Date To Date 30-Sep Oct Oct Oct Income To Date 83, Expenses To Date 80, Net Income 2, Elmhurst Walk In Assistance Network We are partners with the Elmhurst Walk-In Assistance Network (EWAN), a local not-forprofit formed in 1997 to respond to emergency needs in Elmhurst, IL. EWAN s mission statement reads, The people of our faith communities, service organizations, businesses, and caring individuals unite in partnership to provide compassionate and effective assistance to people in need within our community. For the third quarter of 2018, EWAN spent $14,508 serving 206 clients, with 255 services provided (some clients needed assistance in multiple ways). EWAN is the gatekeeper for the food pantry at Immaculate Conception, and food pantry vouchers were given 173 times this quarter. Below is a chart of percent of dollars spent by type of assistance given this quarter. To learn more about EWAN as a client, volunteer, or donor, please visit their website at or visit them Monday-Friday 10 am to noon on the side of St. Peter s United Church of Christ at 125 W. Church Street, Elmhurst. Look for the purple door! Page 6

7 BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARY 4 NANCY CERNY 6 PASTOR JOHN & PURNAVATI RATHOD 15 PAT KRAFT 16 JOHN CACCIATORE 18 SUZANNE AKERS 19 PASTOR BOB BUTLER 25 AMY SERRANO 30 GAIL OSGOOD Harvest Home Dinner and Worship Service Friday, November 2, at 6:30 p.m. Mark your calendars now for our annual Harvest Home Dinner and Worship Service on Friday, November 2. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. followed with our worship service. Look for a sign up sheet to help out with bringing food for the dinner and helping out in the kitchen. Traditionally, part of the service includes a thank offering to cover the cost of heating, restoration, maintenance and improvements for God s temple. Read about the Joash chest in II Kings 12:1-18. This year s thank offering will be used to make repairs to the bell tower to weatherize it and eliminate further water damage. With your prayers, gifts and God s guidance, we can make this happen! In addition to your offering, we are asking for people to bring non perishable food or paper products for the Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry. Our mission emphasis in November will be the Food Pantry. Thanks for your help! New Address and Phone Number for Walt and Donna Larson Beacon Hill #217, 2400 S. Finley Road, Lombard Phone Number: Prayers of Thanks The Bible s close connection between prayer and praise caused 19th-century preacher J.C. Ryle to proclaim, I dare not call that true prayer in which thankfulness has no part. He points, for example, to Paul s words in Philippians 4:6 ( By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God ) and Colossians 4:2 ( Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful ), both NIV. Whenever we speak to God, Ryle adds, thoughts of his mercy and the hope of heaven should be at the forefront of our minds. Surely, he writes, we should never open our lips in prayer without blessing God for that free grace by which we live, and for that lovingkindness which endures forever. Page 7

8 Sunday Worship 10 a.m. Come Worship with Us November 2 November 4 Harvest Home Dinner and Worship Service Beginning at 6:30 p.m. 24th Sunday after Pentecost Year B Ruth 1:1 18 Mark 12:28-34 November 11 25th Sunday after Pentecost Year B Ruth 3:1 5; 4:13 17 Mark 12:38 44 November 18 26th Sunday after Pentecost Year B 1 Samuel 1:4 20 Mark 13:1 8 November 25 Annual Church Conference Guest Preacher: Rev. Darneather Murph-Heath Elgin District Superintendent Page 8 Faith Evangelical United Methodist Church Creating Connections Through Extending Christ s Love 111 W. North Avenue Elmhurst, IL faithelm@gmail.com Rev. Uziel Hernandez, Pastor Jane Ahrens, Church Office Manager Worship Service 10:00 a.m. on Sunday Office Hours 9 AM - Noon Tuesday through Thursday NOVEMBER 2018