THE KEYS ST. PETER S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST GRANT PARK, IL

Transcription

1 THE KEYS ST. PETER S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST GRANT PARK, IL May

2 GRADUATE RECOGNITION The Board of Christian Education Committee has set May 6 th as graduate recognition Sunday. They will also be hosting a Nacho/Potato Bar afterwards in the fellowship hall. All are welcome!! BACCALAUREATE Grant Park High School Baccalaureate May 16 th at St. Peter s Once again this year we will host the high school Baccalaureate Service. We will welcome the graduating students and bless them on their way out into the world. Some will get jobs and some will leave for school and further study. It s an exciting time for all involved, so it is appropriate that we offer our New Graduating Class the opportunity to pause and say thank you to God for the blessings they have received. Won t you join us for worship that evening at 7pm? YOU RE INVITED FOR COFFEE BEFORE WORSHIP! Don t forget the coffee bar in the Sunday school entrance area each Sunday morning from 9:00 am 10:15 am. You re invited to have a cup of coffee before worship. Proceeds go to the Board of Christian Education. THE YOUNG AT HEART The Young at Heart group will meet on Monday, May21 th from 1:00 3:00 PM at the Community Center, Dixie Highway in Grant Park. Desserts will be served. COLLEGE EXAM CARE PACKAGES The Christian Education thanks all who donated to the college care packages. 10 packages were sent out to our college students 2

3 SERVICE KITS In response to this year's heavy storm season, United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries is turning to church congregations to help overcome a shortage of much-needed cleanup buckets, stocked with essential supplies that are used after a natural disaster strikes. We will be collecting your donations during the months of March and April. Information about the items needed is on display in Sunday School entrance. We appreciate your help in this worthwhile project! Thank you! - St. Peter's UCC Mission Committee MAY MISSION GIVING Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM) Also known as Basic Support, 71% of our contribution stays in the Illinois Conference to carry out the mission at the Association and Conference level. World Hunger Our annual contribution to this organization through our Mission giving helps combat the issue hunger in our country and throughout the world. FOOD PANTRY The food pantry at St. Luke s UCC in Beecher is currently providing food for families on average. If you are looking for suggestions canned fruit, sugar free items, canned pasta, paper products, and personal products like toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo are always needed. The pantry will be open on from 9:00-11:00, on the second Saturday of each month. Your donations are always appreciated! Thank You! CONCERNS The family and friends of Carolyn Fowler who passed away in April. 3

4 Pastor s Articles for May Newsletter Strengthen the Church This is one of our 5 for 5 offerings in the United Church of Christ. It used to be called The Thank Offering and was collected in November, but several years ago now the name was changed and the time the offering was collected changed as well. This made November and December (The Christmas Fund Offering) a little easier on the pocket book. Strengthen the Church is an interesting title. It gives the impression that our giving matters; it matters to local churches who might need help providing a new program for the church or its community, it matters to pastors who supplement their ministry from their own pockets providing materials for Bible Study and Confirmation and VBS. The church s Strength comes from Christ and our faith, so whatever we can do to help support our faith and the faith of others, we need to do! While May is the month this year we celebrate Pentecost and Pentecost is the customary day we collect this offering, since Pentecost moves around according to the beginning of Lent, the offering day/date changes each year. This year I want to encourage you to think about Strengthening the Church in some additional ways. 1. Strengthen the Church by attending worship. Worship, even if you don t get to sing your favorite hymns each week and even if you don t care for the sermons, being in the presence of other followers of Christ, praying, hearing Scripture read, all impact our minds and hearts. Worship attendance gives us the chance to decompress from worldly cares for an hour. That, in and of itself, is a blessing! 2. Strength the Church by encouraging the young people who are leading worship as the youth choir and reading liturgy for Confirmation. Anything we do to strength the faith of 4

5 our young people: choir, liturgy, church school, strengthens the church of and for the future. Our young people need us and we need them! 3. Strengthen the Church by being part of a committee or activity. Fellowship is one of the big 3, koinonia, diakonia, kergyma. Koinonia is fellowship in Christ. We all need friends in this life and faith friends enrich our lives as well as our spiritual lives. (diakonia = mission and kergyma = Word or study of the Word). Participating in Fellowship, Mission, and Word strengthens us all! I offer these three perspectives for your consideration and reflection because St. Peter s is only as strong as our faith in Christ and fellowship with one another. What can you do to help Strengthen the Church? Blessings for the month of May, Jan MONTHLY CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS *Remember to like, share, and comment on our St. Peters UCC Facebook posts. *ETF letters sent out earlier in the month. *St. Peters is looking for individuals with a musical talent to grace our summer worship. If you are interested in sharing your musical gift during our worship service please reach out to Ann Smith. THANK YOU We would like to thank everyone for helping us celebrate our 50 th wedding anniversary. The many cards, gifts, and good wishes touched our hearts. A special thank you to our family for hosting the open house. God has truly blessed us. Norma & Lyle Lehnert 5

6 JOYS National Honor Society St. Peter s 7 graders who were inducted into the National Honor Society are: Peyton Greenholt, Dylan Marcotte, Molly Markland, Shelby McKinstry and Owen Reynolds. Jazz Band 9 out of the 16 kids in the Middle School Jazz Band are from St. Peter s. There are also 3 more St. Peter s kids in the High School Jazz Band. We certainly have some talented kids. Plus Mrs. Toppen too!! Middle School: Isabelle Currier, Molly Markland, Elizabeth Voigt, Wesley Schneider, Sawyer Loitz, Shelby McKinstry, Zoe Gawlinski, Peyton Greenholt, Dylan Marcotte High School: Hadleigh Loitz, Madelyn Dickson, Madison Meherg NEW GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER Mardele and Ione Engleking would like to announce the birth of their 8 th new great grandchild. Oriahn Engleking was born on Friday, April 13 th to Joshua and Amaya Engleking. She weighed 8lbs and 8 oz. Congratulations!! In Our Thoughts and Prayers: We encourage you to keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers: Peggy Heusing thanksgiving for being home, Stanley Schneider prayers for healing, Jennie Hamann prayers for healing, Devyn (Dawn Schroeder s Niece) prayers for healing, Carol Hoevet, prayers for comfort, Vic Frahm, prayers for healing, Jason please pray for peace for Jason as he moves to Hospice care Erik Johnston, (infant grandson of Betty Wolfe) prayers for good results for extensive tests, Brandy Fulton, (Evelyn Bond s Niece) prayers for healing, Luke, Shirley & Russ Koehn s grandson) prayers for healing, Paul Hamann, (Carl & Eddie Hamann s son) prayers for healing, 6

7 CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND CHURCH ON A REGULAR BASIS Mrs. Louise Sievers Mrs. Mary Cirks Mrs. Doris Laking Riverside Senior Life 717 Long Oak Rd. Humme Home for the 85 Burns Road Manteno, IL Aging Bourbonnais, IL S Webb Whittenberg, WI MAY CALENDAR OF EVENTS 1 7:00 pm Christian Education Meeting 2 7:00 pm Adult Choir 5 9:00-3:00 Easter Association Spring Meeting 6 9:00 am Sunday School 10:30 am Worship Service/Communion Graduate Recognition Sunday 11:45 am Nacho/Potato Bar 9 5:30 pm Girl Scouts 7:00 pm Adult Choir 13 9:00 am Last Day of Sunday School 10:30 am Worship Service Confirmation Class Presentation Sunday Mother s Day Sr Choir Recognition Sunday 16 7:00 pm High School Baccalaureate Service 18 7:00 pm High School Graduation 20 10:30 am Pentecost Sunday Worship Service Confirmation 21 1:00-3:00 pm Young at Heart 22 7:00 pm Church Council Meeting 24 7:00 pm Grade School Graduation 27 9:30 am Summer Worship Service 28 Memorial Day (Office Closed) 7

8 MAY BIRTHDAY LIST These birthdays are compiled from the church membership records. Please call to our attention any omissions or corrections. LaDonna Swanson 1 Sandi Heldt 16 Rich Heldt 2 Jon Schneider 16 Kimberly Sherwood 4 Paul Loverin 19 Sam Hamann 4 Daniel Erickson 20 Megan Pilbeam 4 Mary Cirks 23 Cynthia Jacobson 6 Shirley Voigt 23 Erin Williamson 7 Jerry Lorenz 23 Joe Ekhoff 8 David Heusing 25 Tammy Reaman 10 Minnie Pfingsten 26 Amy Schneider 11 Sandy Erickson 27 Tom Morris 12 Jarret Schneider 28 Suzy Bird 12 Kyle Jacobson 28 Mark Ekhoff 12 Jamie Clausing 29 Kate Reichel 12 Sharon Dillman 30 Marcia Langlois 14 Ken Heldt 30 Missy Benson 14 Trisha Meherg 30 Pam Lawrence 15 Mother s Day Carnations The Missions Board is selling carnations for Mother s Day Sunday April 22 nd through Sunday, May 6 th The cost of each carnation is $4.00. Proceeds from the sale support our Good Samaritan Fund. IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF PRESENTED BY NUMBER ORDERED BY $4.00 8

9 Father s Day Carnations The Missions Board is selling carnations for Father s Day Sunday May 27 th through Sunday, June 10 th The cost of each carnation is $4.00. Proceeds from the sale support our Good Samaritan Fund. IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF PRESENTED BY NUMBER ORDERED BY $4.00 BEYOND BELIEF THE UNIVERSE OF GOD 2018 SUMMER CAMPS MORE INFORMATION POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARD OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH OFFICE. 9

10 ST. PETER S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 310 N. MEADOW ST. P.O. BOX 220 GRANT PARK, IL Church Office / Parsonage (815) Church Addresses: stpetersgp@sbcglobal.net Church Website: Facebook: St. Peters UCC Grant Park Church Office Hours: Tuesday Friday; 9:00 AM 1:00 PM STAFF Rev. Jan Johnson, Interim Pastor Marcia Langlois, Office Administrator Beverly Junker, Financial Secretary Ann Smith, Senior Choir Director Kathy Ekhoff, Junior Choir Director Judy Schneider and Shari Ohm, Organists Peg McCraw, Custodian Jessica Frahm & Kole Stadt - Youth Advisors CHURCH COUNCIL Evelyn Bond, President Garry Junker, Vice President Kelly Schneider, Secretary Susan Williamson, Treasurer, Ron Hamann, Assistant Treasurer Sandy Erickson, Kaleb Frahm, Vicki Gawlinski, Russell Koehn No Matter Who You Are or Where you Are on Life s Journey, You Are Welcome Here 10