St. John United Church of Christ 308 North Evergreen Avenue Arlington Heights, Illinois (847)

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1 St. John United Church of Christ 308 North Evergreen Avenue Arlington Heights, Illinois (847) We are a family of Christians raising children in Christian faith. Upcoming Worship Events September 2017 Sponsored by Pam & Craig Mallar From our Pastor September 3 9:30 a.m. Communion Worship & Sunday School September 10 9:30 a.m. Worship/Sunday School September 17 9:30 a.m. Communion Worship & Sunday School September 24 9:30 a.m. Worship/Sunday School It s happened to me a few times in my year and a half living in Arlington Heights and being part of the community of St. John. Many of you have told me that it has happened to you, too. Here is how I have experienced it: A friend introduces me to someone I haven t met before, and they politely ask either what I do for work or where my church is. I answer, St. John United Church of Christ. A puzzled look appears on their face. I don t know that church, they reply, looking baffled because they honestly thought they knew everything about Arlington Heights. It s right near North School Park, I say, hoping that this new piece of information will help. Do you mean the big church on Dunton? They ask, still trying to picture St. John in their mind. No, that s First Presbyterian, I reply. We are between that church and the park. Our building faces the park. The dialogue usually ends with my conversation partner giving up and forming a

2 polite smile as though they think I am making up the existence of St. John because they are not aware of it. Am I exaggerating? No, this has happened to me on more than one occasion. Yes, there have been times where someone actually knows about or has seen St. John, but that knowledge is usually paired with a question like, Oh, you mean the church with the pre-school in it? All of this has caused me to reflect on these questions: Why is it that so many people in Arlington Heights have never heard of St. John? And, why is it that so many people in Arlington Heights do not even know where our church building is? I have come up with a few answers to those questions, some of which are out of our control and others that are not. We could have many conversations about answers to these questions, but I am not sure that is where we should spend our energy. I want to focus on how to make sure our community knows that we are here and that being part of our community means being welcomed into a vibrant, loving, forward-thinking church. In other words, I do not want St. John to be more wellknown in our community just so we can get recognition. I want St. John to be more well-known in our community because I think that there are a lot of people who would benefit, as we all do, from being part of such a wonderful church. Will you commit to telling someone about St. John and your experience here this month? Will you invite a friend or family friends to our Fall Festival on September 9, where we re going to celebrate who we are and what it means to be a community of faith? Will you invite someone to come to worship on a Sunday morning? If you have been away from St. John for a while, will you come back and try us out again? We want you to benefit from being part of the community as we all do. We do not want more people to know about St. John because it benefits us. We want more people to know about St. John because here we meet God in Jesus Christ, who came to teach us how to live out the extravagant love of God which breaks all barriers, lifts us up, and changes the world. Peace and Blessings, Pastor Michael

3 September Sermon Series If someone asked you how you would describe your life, would you describe your life as good? We all have things in our lives that we would be able to list as good, but when we put those easy-to-identify things aside for a moment, we still have to ask if we re living the good life, i.e. a life that has purpose and that has at its essence the goodness of God. The early Christians wanted their faith to impact all areas of life, which meant that their writings, which we find in the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament, addressed finding God s goodness in all areas of life. Join us on Sundays in September for a look into what those texts have to say and how we can live the good life, one day at a time.

4 Book St. John Club St. John Book Club will meet Sept.18th, at 2:00. We will be discussing "The Dog Who Was There", by Ron Marasco. Through Barley's eyes, the story of a teacher from Galilee comes alive. September Birthdays 4th Georgia Runge 5th Mark Haberichter, Ashley Ilg 7th Joyce Rosley 8th Annette Rost 9th Nancy Schweikert, Christina Guenther 10th Bob Burdick, Jordan Slonke, Owen Hong 12th Jackson Travis 14th Craig Mallar 15th Erik Hanssen 17th Dorothy Wagner 22nd Nancy Hofmann 23rd Herb Morath 25th Pam Mallar, Michael Jones Do we have your birthday? If not, call the office and let us know! Put on your dancing shoes for Macaroni Soup with Miss Carole and Clarence! Join us for music that families will sing all the way home! Sneakily educational and developmentally appropriate for children 8 and younger and their adults! Saturday, November 4, 3:30 p.m.

5 Sandwiches (Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos, Cuban Sliders, Grilled Cheese and Apple) available at the food truck for purchase or bring your own picnic dinner. We will provide desserts, water and juice. Ice cream will be available for purchase off the ice cream truck.

6 Feed Your Spirit (FYS) and Crew Club are the youth groups at St. John. FYS is for those youth in high school. Crew Club is for those youth in middle school. Both groups will be meeting at St. John for the first time this year on Sunday, September 24, 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Come check it out! Tuesday morning Bible Study resumes Tuesday, September 12, 10:00 a.m. W S G Are you looking for Chris an fellowship with other women? We would like to start a women s small group that will meet beginning in September, to discuss faith, spirituality, and a variety of other topics. We re s ll in the planning stages, including topics and when to meet, but we want to see when people would be interested in mee ng. Let us know by contac ng Joyce Pavelko (joyce.pavelko@gmail.com) or the office.

7 Dear St. John Members and Friends, We want to thank the entire St. John congregation for your prayers, support and visits for both our Mom and Dad over the last several months. They so greatly loved being a part of your church and felt very loved by all. It has been a difficult year, but we are confident that God is holding both of them in His palm. The Family of Jack & Barbara Spaulding Dear St. John Members and Friends, Thank you to everyone who celebrated Aus n s Welcome Party and for the many gi s and words of encouragement and support. We have truly been blessed to be part of the community of St. John, and we are so happy that our family is part of this larger family. Pastor Michael, Blake, and Aus n Dear St. John Members and Friends, Glenn and I would like to thank the Congregation for your prayers, cards, flowers, calls, and visits during Glenn's recent knee replacement surgery. Thank you to the crafters for the beautiful, colorful blanket. We are grateful for your support. Glenn and Barbara Ahrenholz Dear St. John Members and Friends, A big thank you for the visits, cards, and well wishes. My stay at the rehab went well but always nice to get home. I ll be getting more therapy here at home, but hope to see you in church soon. God s blessings to all. Sincerely, Lorraine Messenger

8 Sunday School News Amanda Spence This summer the Sunday School learned about the Bible according to Dr. Seuss and we had a blast! Horton Hears a Who reminded us that God cares for even the smallest things in the world. Green Eggs in Ham taught us to keep an open mind and not be quick to judge something because it is different - just like we also read in Romans 14: We saw similarities in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and what we read in 1 Timothy about choosing between serving God or being self-serving. I hope these lessons will stick with the children as they re-read their Dr. Seuss books at home. I want to thank Gabby Slonke for leading the PreSchool through 5th grade Sunday School over the summer. Gabby has done an amazing job leading the Sunday School over the summer and I am so grateful to her. On Sunday, September 17, we will resume our regular Sunday School programing with our three classrooms. Our classrooms are ages 3 years old through 3rd grade, 4th grade through 8th grade, and high school. We are always looking for adults to lead the Sunday School classes. If you are interested, please contact me via , office@stjah.org or

9 A father had been teaching his three-year old daughter, Caitlin, the Lord's Prayer for several evenings at bedtime. She would repeat after him the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. He listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us from . The Lutheran Church of the Cross Food Pantry thanks everyone at St. John for their generous donations each week. Donations are collected by the children before the children s sermon each week.

10 News From Tower Hill Camp The Illinois Conference broke ground at Tower Hill Camp, Sawyer Michigan on Wednesday July 26, 2017 for the construction of three new cottages. Tower Hill Camp has been in operation since A few years ago seven cottages that had been used by many camping families had to be closed due to septic tank leaks and no longer meeting codes. The new cottages are designed to meet the needs of camping families and to provide additional facilities to accommodate campers. Upgrades have already been completed to other buildings including three A Frames and Marshall Hall facilities. At the July 26 th ground breaking celebration a number of camper representatives of families that have used the camp for three of four generations were on hand. Several Campers in their senior years who grew up camping for as long as 60 years back were also present along with children and youth. The Architect John Allegretti, who grew up in the First Congregational Church, Glen Ellen, gave a brief introduction of the building plans. The Contractor Albert Hertzler shared that construction is expected to begin within three weeks and the building up and completed by February Also on hand for the celebration were officers of the Illinois Conference, Architect John Allegretti, Contractor Albert Hertzler, Mr. Robert Beemer of the Deer Creek Open Space Association (DCOSA), Rev. Janet McLean of the Advocate Health Care (AHC), and representatives of the Chikaming Open Lands (COL). The construction of the new cottages is made possible through the generous gift of a conservation easement done in partnership with DCOSA, COL, local home owners, AHC, and contributions from individuals and churches to a recent Major Gift Initiative.

11 We look forward to transformative experiences in the lives of campers to all ages, moving from the ordinary into the Sacred, preserving and enjoying the beauty and wonder of God s creation, and to continue to introduce new generations of campers of all faiths - and no faith - to the sacred through camping. You are invited to use and enjoy camping at our Illinois Conference Camps and recreation centers: Tower Hill and Pilgrim Park (Princeton, Illinois.) To learn more you can also visit online -outdoorsministries.org, or call Tower Hill at ( for Pilgrim Park, Princeton, IL.) or towerhillcamp@gmail.com For information on the Illinois Conference United Church of Christ please visit: C T H A A R S 29 30, O 1, 2017 Adults of all ages and stages of life are cordially invited to share a weekend for spiritual renewal through interesting discussions, lively conversations, singing, Bible Study, and fellowship with people from different churches and communities. Each year s theme weaves together faith and life experiences with Scripture, current events, and Christian values. Camp #275 8:00 p.m. Friday, September 29, until 11:30am - Sunday, October 1, 2017 The cost of the Autumn Adult Retreat includes two nights lodging, all meals, and snacks. Register Early by Calling:

12 The Frontier Days Festival was Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4. St. John had an ice cream booth for two of those days. I would like to thank all those that helped out at this year s Frontier Days. I was impressed with the number of people that volunteered and offered to donate their time. Not only did we promote St. John but we also raised $ for our church! Below are the many of the volunteers that donated their time this year at the Frontier Days Festival. Along with Cindy and myself we had an excellent turnout! Don & Pat Riemer, Mark & April Swenson, Paul & Lana Cochran, Craig & Pam Mallar, Ward & Debbie Wittmeyer, Rick & Judy Grimes, Tim & Connie Wayman, Gary Gephart, Kevin Kuhn, The Landeweer Family, The Herzey Family. And a special thank you to Deb Wittmeyer for having her son make up those great St John aprons! - Paul Giambarberee

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14 Summer Update from the Environmental Task Force Two big things happened at the Illinois Annual Conference, and something really big happened at the General Synod! First, at the Annual Conference, we passed a resolution affirming that the Earth is The Lord's and we need to care for it by divesting from Fossil Fuels: "Ban on Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Divestment Initiatives." Second, at the Annual Conference, we launched an 8-session video resource for our congregations to use: "Sustaining Creation - A Faith Journey for Small Groups". DVD sets were made available free to all churches. You can also find the entire resource available on-line at Last, but certainly not least of the current environmental justice news is the emergency resolution approved at the General Synod. THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S - NOT OURS TO WRECK IMPERATIVES FOR A NEW MORAL ERA Submitted by the California, Nevada Southern Conference, endorsed by 16 UCC Conferences passed by UCC National Synod, July 3, 2017 with 97% support A Resolution of Witness SUMMARY: God's great gift of Creation - the context in which all life seeks fulfillment - is in crisis. Driven by material aspiration, humanity's use of fossil fuel since the Industrial Revolution has broken Creation's balance. The scale of Creation's demise is dramatically expanding beyond our comprehension. Never has the earth and the climate changed so quickly. While the leaders of every country in the world recognize this reality, our current Administration ignores science, defunds the Environmental Protection Agency, and withdraws from the Paris Climate Accord. As people of faith, recognizing that the earth is the Lord's, it falls upon our generation to embrace the imperatives set forth in this resolution - imperatives that constitute a new moral era. We view the current climate crisis as an opportunity for which the church was born.

15 Note: to gain the full benefit read the entire resolution but the short version highlights is that it calls us to take 3 actions: Let our clergy accept the mantle of moral leadership. Now is the time for clergy to speak from their pulpits about the moral obligation of our generation to protect God's creation. Let all of us incarnate the changes we long for, Now is the time for congregations and for every person of faith to set a moral example through our own words and actions. Let us proclaim truth in the public square. * Let our communities of faith be bold and courageous as we address one of the greatest moral challenge that the world has ever faced. * Let us commit to resist all expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure and demand new sources of renewable energy that are accessible to all communities. * Let us do all we can to change America's understanding of the story that our generation is writing. Let us begin a new story - a story that is not dependent on fossil fuel or on wealth for the few and misery for the many --Terrance Gallagher 7th Annual Illinois Conference Women s Retreat Sept Sept. 30 $111 You re invited to the 7 th Annual Illinois Conference Women s Retreat, Friday, September 29 Saturday, September 30, 2017 at Pilgrim Park Camp and Retreat Center, N Avenue, Princeton, IL There are so many women in the Bible who are nameless. How do our names shape who we are? How is life impacted for those who feel nameless and voiceless? During this 23-hour get-a-way, participants will move from exploring the wonderful, unique Child of God each one of us is, to seeing the Child of God in others, and then dig into how to practice Christianity in the face of name calling and bigotry. Celebrate and nurture the YOU who God created and called into being. Share Bible insights, activities, free time, good food, great friends, laughter, and relaxation. Enjoy the beautiful Pilgrim Park accommodations in the upper conference center and its surroundings as summer leaves and autumn begins. Return home feeling re-energized, refreshed, and better equipped to walk as a called Child of God.

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17 St. John United Church of Christ 308 N. Evergreen Ave. Arlington Heights, IL (847) Fax: (847) Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-noon, Monday - Friday Pastor s Day off: Friday Rev. Michael D. Jones, pastor mjones@stjah.org Cell: Amanda Spence Administrative Assistant/Children s Ministry Director office@stjah.org Dr. J. Paul Cochran, Organist Linda Styzek, Accompanist Alberto Mantovano, Choir Director Carin Zachar, Handbell Director The congregation of St. John United Church of Christ rejoices that our community of faith is strengthened by diversity. We declare ourselves to be an open and affirming congregation, extending God s extravagant welcome to all people regardless of culture, economic status, age, sex, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, marital status, or physical/mental condition. We invite everyone to join our journey of faith and participate fully in the life of our congregation.

18 September 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Communion Worship & Sunday School 9:30am 4 Labor Day-office closed 5 6 Bell l Tones 6:15pm Chancel Choir 7:15pm 7 Thursday Work Crew 9am St. John Crafters 1pm 8 9 St. John Fall Fest 5:00-7:00pm 10 Super Sunday Funday (formally known as Rally Day) Worship & Sunday School 9:30am/Confirmation Orientation 11:30am Bible Study 10:00am 13 Bell l Tones 6:15pm Chancel Choir 7:15pm 14 Thursday Work Crew 9am Cards 1pm Communion Worship & Sunday School 9:30am Confirmation 11:30am-1:00pm 18 Book Club 2pm 19 Bible Study 10:00am 20 Bell l Tones 6:15pm Chancel Choir 7:15pm 21 Thursday Work Crew 9am St. John Crafters 1pm Worship & Sunday School 9:30am FYS/CREW Club 6:00-7:30pm Bible Study 10:00am 27 Bell l Tones 6:15pm Chancel Choir 7:15pm 28 Thursday Work Crew 9am Cards 1pm St. John United Church of Christ 308 N. Evergreen Ave. Arlington Heights, IL