October 2017 Vol. 65, No 10

Transcription

1 l l l l > < October 2017 Vol. 65, No 10

2 FROM THE PASTOR S PEN As long as the earth exists, seedtime and harvest, cold and hot, summer and autumn, day and night will not cease. Genesis 8:22 Summer is my favorite season of the year. It is full of light and life. I have heard it said that God s favorite color is green. There are so many different shades of green in living nature, from plants and lichens to frogs and insects. Revelation 4:3 even says that around God s throne in heaven is a rainbow that looked like an emerald. Can picture that in your imagination; a rainbow made up of all the shades of green found in nature? As much as I like the idea that green is God s favorite color, I don t think it s true. Each season has its own color pallet and God brings them all out in their due time. The greens of summer are followed by the warm reds, yellows and browns of autumn. The stark white and grays of winter are followed by the brilliant pastels of spring flowers. As I say goodbye to the greens of the warmer days of summer, I always feel a bit of sadness. It s not a true depression, just a touch of regret for the end of another season, knowing the days are getting shorter and the cold, wet, colorless days of late autumn are on the horizon. By the time Thanksgiving comes around the land will be barren. But instead of letting this time of life be focused on sadness or regrets, I need to turn to God and thank him for each season; whether it be a season of the year or a season in life. We all pass from the summer of youth to the autumn of mid-life and on to the winter of our elder years. We need to see each part of our lives is filled with God s grace and blessings. I will leave you with this beautiful prayer and will ask God to give us the wisdom to appreciate each season of life. An Autumn Prayer by Bob Hostetler The trees are ablaze with your glory. Pastor Jason The seasons change, but you never do. You are always beautiful, in the green and freshness of spring as in the golds and reds and chills of autumn. Make me like you. Let my life reflect your beauty, season after season, as the calendar of my life turns and turns and turns. The trees are letting go of this year's foliage. Help me let go of both blessings and burdens, and surrender them both to your loving care. Fallen leaves pattern the ground with variety. So design my own fallings and failings into whatever design will please you most. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.

3 ATTENDANCE August September 3-77 September September MEETINGS IN OCTOBER Worship-October 4, 7pm Fellowship-October 8, 10:45am Trustees-October 11, 7pm Federated Board-October 16, 7pm Education-October 22, 10:45 FOCW-October 23, 7pm Outreach-October 25, 7pm CHURCH OFFICE HOURS The church office hours are from 8:00am-12:00pm, Monday through Friday. If you need to drop off, or pick up something we are always open during those times. PASTOR JASON'S HOURS Pastor Jason s hours are Monday through Thursday 9am-2pm. He will be in the office at this time unless called away due to ministry. Even when he is not in the office he can be reached 24/7 by phone or text at Pastor Jason s cell phone will go straight to voice mail between the hours of 10:00pm and 7:00am, but his phone will ring if you call twice. You can also contact him at pastorhladik@icloud.com. COFFEE WITH PASTOR Start your week off right with a time of fellowship with friends from the church. We meet every week on Monday at 8:00am at the Wauconda Café on Rt Join us for coffee, breakfast or just a good conversation. BIBLE STUDY Follow up with our Monday and Tuesday Bible Story Café Bible studies which are getting great reviews. Join in one or both! Monday 10 am New Testament Class Tuesday 6 pm Old Testament Class ALUMINUM CAN RECYCLING You can help collect money for our church. Save your aluminum cans and bring them to the church to be recycled. There is a recycling bin outside behind the annex for you to drop off your cans.

4 TAKE A GOOD LOOK AROUND Keep your eyes open for missing people. If you notice that someone has not attended for a few weeks, pick up the phone and let them know they are truly missed. Or, let Pastor Jason know if you are concerned about someone s absence. ACOLYTES NEEDED We are looking for youth who are interested in becoming acolytes. If your child would like to help with the lighting of the candles on Sunday mornings, please see Pastor Crystal for more information. SHUT-IN VISITS FROM PASTOR If you know of a member of our church or a family member that could use a visit from Pastor Jason, please let him know. WAUCONDA CARE SERVICE A Wauconda Care Sing-along is held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 3:00pm. Meet at Wauconda Care, just off Rt. 176, at 2:45pm if you'd like to help pass out songbooks and greet the residents before the fun begins. Join us as we bring the worship of God in song to the people at Wauconda Care. The next Sing-a-long will be on the October 25. PRAYER PARTNER S If you are not receiving the Joys and Concerns Prayer Partner and would like to - or if you have a concern during the week - you can call Nancy Swanson or her at nraswancon@gmail.com. Joys and Concerns from each Sunday s service are ed each week to all who have signed up. THURSDAY NIGHT PRAYER MEETINGS Last month we increased the regular prayer meetings to 3 times monthly. The first three Thursdays in October are the 5 th, 12 th, and the 19 th. Join us if you have personal requests or if you want to be in prayer on behalf of our church family, friends, or our country. We meet in the sanctuary at 7pm.

5 PASTOR S DISCRETIONARY FUND The Pastor s Discretionary Fund is one of the ways we meet the needs of our congregation and our community. We have been able to provide assistance to members in emergency situations as well as provide gift cards for food, medicine and gas. If you or someone you know is ever in a time of need, please talk with Pastor Jason. Donations to this fund can be made by writing a check to the church with the words Pastor s Discretionary Fund in the memo line. Donations can also be given in the form of gift cards from local grocery stores or gas stations. We thank you for helping us serve our community. - Pastor Jason CHRISTMAS BAZAAR Dec. 2 It s time to save the date for our annual Christmas Bazaar and start thinking about how you can help. Here are some suggestions: volunteer to help that day, bake for our Cookie Walk and Baked goods section, make crafts, go through your accessories that are gathering dust and give them to our Glamorama Boutique, and watch for treasures you can donate for Grandma s Attic. NEW MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP Kids Hope USA is a national, non-profit organization which facilitates mentoring relationships with at-risk children through a church-school partnership. It has nearly 1,000 church-school partnerships in 34 states across the U.S. with over 15,000 mentorstudent relationships existing within these partnerships. How can you help Become a mentor. Become a prayer partner. Spread the word about our church participating in the program. What are the responsibilities of a Mentor Mentor One Child, Once a Week, One school calendar year. What School are we partnering with? Wauconda Grade School How do I get Involved? Contact Pastor Crystal at Church or by .

6 HURRICANE RELIEF Thank you to everyone who donated to benefit the victims of hurricane Harvey. Together we donated over $1115 which will be used and distributed through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). Remember, 100% of the donations to UMCOR go directly to the need and none is used for administrative costs. With 2 more major disasters as of this week, the need is great. If you are so moved, just mark your check UMCOR in the memo line. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA CHURCH WORK DAY, OCTOBER 21 Bring your work gloves and your favorite tools. It s time to get the church ready for the winter. All the things you do at your house prior to winter also need doing at the church. In addition, the Trustees will be building a manger for our outdoor manger display. The group generally finishes by noon. Many hands make light work so come on out and enjoy the camaraderie and give us a hand. We meet at 9am. OKTOBERFEST 2017 On October 12 th, we will gather at the Golf Farm to celebrate the second Federated Oktoberfest. Once again, fun, food, trivia and a raffle will headline the event! But this year, we have special entertainment by Jerry Nustra. Traditional German food will be served buffet style and there will be prizes for the Trivia winners. Specialty baskets will be raffled as well as a 50/50 raffle. Tickets can be purchased for $25 from any of the Octoberfest Committee: Chuck Burton, Toni Null, Sue Seaman, Peggy Martin, Lou Ann Kozderka, Mary Steffen, Tabby Lucius and Nancy Lucius. PUMPKINFEST OCTOBER 28 On October 28 th from 2-5pm the Federated Church will host a wonderful family event called Pumpkinfest. There will be pumpkin decorating, storytelling, Bingo and treats for all. Bring your friends and neighbors for a fun, family afternoon! PET BLESSING SERVICE Has God blessed your life with a pet? We invite all of you to bring your furry, feathery or slithery friends to join us for a special pet blessing service on October 22 at 11:00 am. There will be treats for canines, felines, and humans too. The service will be behind the church in the Duffin Memorial Garden or in the Chapel lounge if it is too wet or cold to be outside. This Photo by Unknown

7 REFLECTIONS ON REDBIRD FROM PAIGE RIVERS Hi, my name is Paige Rivers. Being at Red Bird gave me the opportunity to be all that God created me to be. It's important for youth to feel safe when they go somewhere new. Red Bird and my team made me feel safe, and here is my experience. I have been struggling with depression and anxiety for a few years now, and the way I cope with it is to write poetry. My poetry is very personal for me and I was always scared to share it with others until I got to Red Bird. After a hard day of work, we headed to talent night. It wasn't competition or anything like that, it was a fun night to share a part of ourselves with everyone else. After watching people play piano, guitar, perform little skits, I decided to do something I never thought I would do. I decided to share my poetry. I asked Dr. Sami if that was OK and she was like, Go for it! I got up, I read my poetry, and I never felt more free. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I felt lighter, like I was walking on air. And everyone there was so supportive. I couldn't believe how so many people were moved by something that was so personal to me. I had people coming up to me, confiding in me, and telling me how my poetry helped them. This gave me confidence I never thought I had. Confidence that I needed. You see, this was my first mission trip. And if I m being honest, I was terrified. I have never done anything like this before and I did not know what I was doing. After reading my poetry, I felt the confidence I had been lacking came to me. I was more focused in our mission and the job than I ever was. Especially since it was the last day and we still had some stuff to finish up. Without God, I would not have taken a chance to go on this trip. Without God, I would not have trusted this amazing group of youths. Without God, I would not have stepped out on faith. As I learn to put Him first, a whole new world is opening up for me. I m going to carry this confidence with me everywhere I go. And I hope I can bring it with me on the next mission trip to help others. Thank you. BED BUILD Love INC is looking for volunteers to help with their bed building ministry. The Federated Church of Wauconda will be hosting a sanding and finishing event here at our church annex on October 21 from 9:00amnoon. If you are able to help, sign your name on the Bed Build Clipboard in the Fellowship Area or talk to Pastor Jason for more information.

8 LAITY SUNDAY OCTOBER 8, 2017 The ministry of the laity is the work of mission or ministry to which each believer is called. As Christians, we are all called to this ministry or priesthood not just clergy. Each of us has a responsibility to proclaim the Good News and reach out to others in love. One Sunday, October 8, 2017 our church will focus on the celebration of the ministry of all lay Christians. Our Laity speaker will be Ron Rovner. TRICK OR TREAT ON MAIN STREET The Federated Church of Wauconda will be hosting a booth this year at Trick or Treat on Main Street on Sunday October 29th from 2:00 to 6:00pm. You can help by donating Halloween candy any time before October 25th, you can come to church on Wednesday October 25th at 6pm to help us package our candy bags, or you can volunteer to come to support our booth and hand out candy to children in our community at the event. Please let Pastor Jason or Pastor Crystal know if you can help out in any way. CRAFT NIGHT On Friday November 3 FOCW will hold a craft night at the church. We will meet at 6PM to make crafts for sale at the Christmas Bazaar. Come join in the fun! Join in the fun and fellowship. Help us get ready for the Christmas Bazaar! Contact person- Candee Nustra (candeenustra@gmail.com) GIFT OF GIVING, DECEMBER 9 The Federated Church will host Love, INC for the annual Gift of Giving. The event brings together churches from Southern Lake County for an event that focuses on children whose families are clients of Love, INC. There will be shopping for the parents and children, wrapping, Santa, games and music. It all ends with a shared community meal. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

9 A MESSAGE TO THE CONGREGATION FROM PASTOR FRED BERCHT0LD Some people wonder why I volunteered to be on the clergy staff of Federated Church with no pay (other than the satisfaction of doing God s work). I do it for two reasons. One was the history of this congregation in being supportive of ministry to persons with disabilities, and the second is the call of God to me to help His church to be both accessible to and accepting of persons with differing abilities. This is well explained in the following quotation from the book Shout for Joy, published by The Irresistible Church. Six years ago, I met a young man named Paul. Paul was born with physical limitations that made it difficult for him to breathe, and he spent much of his time in a wheelchair. Paul loved to worship the Lord and lead others in worship. While Paul was unable to physically stand in worship, his mind and spirit rose as he lifted his voice to sing his favorite hymns and songs of praise. During a time of worship, Paul asked his friend if she would be willing to kneel before the Lord on his behalf because he was unable to get out of his wheelchair to do so. What a powerful request! I learned a lot about worship from this young man. I am physically able to kneel before the Lord whenever I want and yet I often do not. What an amazing thought that God the Creator of the universe invites each one of us to enter His presence through worship. Worship can be described as a conversation between the Good Shepherd and His people, the sheep of His pasture. We respond to His invitation with shouts of joy and glad hearts because we are invited into relationship with our Creator and with our fellow sheep. Sometimes worship is a very personal conversation between God and an individual; at other times worship is a conversation that takes place between God and a community gathered in worship. Churches are places of worship, but unfortunately, many churches are not accessible to individuals affected by disability physically or emotionally. It is our desire to see churches across the world become more accessible, inviting people of all abilities to join in the worship of our Almighty God. Worship that is accessible to people of all abilities creates opportunities for individuals to respond to God in a variety of multi-sensory ways, including sights, sounds, and even smells. Worship that is accessible encourages participation from everyone. In accessible worship, we engage with God and with one another. The two major components of creating an environment where all people can worship are accessibility and acceptance. Accessibility focuses on the tangible things that allow someone with limited abilities to participate. This can include wheelchair ramps, audio aids, visual aids, and sensory accommodations. Acceptance focuses the culture of your church staff or church members can equip them and encourage families affected by disability that you desire their presence. Do you long to be part of a church community where people of all abilities enter the presence of God, uniting their voices and hearts in praise and thanksgiving? (Do you long for) a church community where the sounds of worship include a wheelchair rolling down the aisle, the tap of a cane, and the sound of people with differing intellectual disabilities lifting their voices in praise and prayer? If so, we encourage you to consider how you can make the worship at your church more accessible.

10 INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRY The phrase all generations appears 91 times in the Bible. God does not form our character all at once or all by himself. Nor does he expect us to unilaterally form our own character. God acts on us through others. Interaction among generations is necessary for forming faith and character. Each age learns from another. Please Join us as We become the hands and feet of Jesus. Feed My Starving Children 1072 National Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL Wednesday, October 18 Time: 5:45pm-7:30PM (sign-up sheet located on the table in the refreshment area - deadline to sign up is October 8) Intergenerational worship takes humility as well as intention FIND PEACE TODAY TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3, NKJV TODAY'S WORD: Do you need peace in your life today? Are you feeling frustrated, hopeless or like things are beyond your control? The first question to ask yourself is, What do I have my mind set on? What am I thinking about? If you are focused solely on your circumstances or how impossible everything is, it s going to affect your peace level. But when you keep your mind stayed on God and what He can do in your life, when you get your mind going in the right direction, then you are setting yourself up for peace. You may be going through difficulty today; you may be in overwhelming circumstances in your life; however, God still promises you peace in the midst of the storm. He promises that He will preserve you when you call on Him. Choose to keep your mind focused on the Father. Be empowered by meditating on His Word. Find peace today by putting your trust and hope in Him. PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for peace that passes understanding. I receive it as a blanket of comfort to my heart, mind and emotions. I choose to keep my mind stayed on You and thank You for ordering my steps in Jesus name. Amen

11 YOUTH MINISTRY EVENT

12 OCTOBER 2017 USHERS & ACOLYTES DATE USHERS ACOLYTES Greeter for October Pat Whitson Oct. 1 Dave Fehlman Hero Lucius Ann Petersen Madison Lucius Tony Rake Ruby Thacker Oct. 8 Jutta Culbertson Angela Batson Dave Fehlman Gabriella Stephens Peggy Martin Tom Martin Oct. 15 Dave Fehlman Hero Lucius Mary Taylor Madison Lucius Ted Tremont Oct. 22 Dick Bode Angela Batson Jutta Culbertson Gabriella Stephens Heidi Leo Mindy Taylor NOVEMBER 2017 USHERS & ACOLYTES DATE USHERS ACOLYTES Greeter for November Debbie Zinkel Nov. 5 Dave Fehlman Angela Batson Mary Taylor Gabriella Stephens Ted Tremont Nov. 12 Dick Bode Hero Lucius Jutta Culbertson Madison Lucius Heidi Leo Mindy Taylor Nov. 19 Jutta Culbertson Angela Batson Dave Fehlman Gabriella Stephens Jim Hill Joyce Hill Nov. 26 Dave Fehlman Hero Lucius Ann Petersen Madison Lucius Tony Rake Ruby Thacker Oct. 29 Jutta Culbertson Hero Lucius Dave Fehlman Madison Lucius Peggy Martin Tom Martin OCTOBER WORSHIP ASSISTANTS Oct. 1 Pastor Crystal Oct. 8 Tony Rake Oct. 15 Mary Steffen Oct. 22 Peggy Martin Oct. 29 Ruby Thacker NOVEMBER WORSHIP ASSISTANTS Nov. 5 Pastor Crystal Nov. 12 Linda Vrabec Nov. 19 Lou Ann Kozderka Nov. 26 Louise Bundy OCTOBER NURSERY ASSISTANTS Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Val Whitman NOVEMBER NURSERY ASSISTANTS Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 26 Val Whitman

13 Worship Schedule Sundays - 9:30am Sunday School (Sept.-May) - 9:45am Fellowship - 10:30am CHURCH STAFF Pastor... Jason Hladik Pastor Jason s cell phone Pastor Jason s ... pastorhladik@icloud.com Family Pastor... Crystal Calhoun-Johnson Pastor Crystal s cell phone Pastor Crystal s ... pastorccalhoun@gmail.com Pastor of Accessibility and Acceptance... Pastor Fred Berchtold Pastor Fred s cell phone Pastor Fred s ... godslovestories@comcast.net Minister of Prayer.Cathy Mate Cathy Mate s meowzki@comcast.net Cathy Mate s phone Church Phone federatedchurch200@sbcglobal.net Beacon editor... Mary Steffen Mary s ... marstef50@aol.com Church Web Site... Custodian... Panuncio Gonzalez Director of Music/Organist.... Geri Meyer Nursery Attendant... Nancy Lucius Secretary... Judy Pinkonsly Youth Coordinator... Valerie Lucius Become a greeter at Federated and make a difference! Anyone interested in sharing a smile, a hug, a handshake or just making someone feel welcome, contact Mary Taylor at Please remember to notify the church office if you have a change of address, phone number or a new address. Recordings of our Sunday worship services are available on our website. Go to our website to view the latest worship service: Our Beacon newsletter is also on the website. If you no longer wish to receive a copy by mail, please drop us a note or call the church office at and we will remove your name from our mailing list.

14 MISSION STATEMENT OF THE Federated Church of Wauconda Committed to God through Christ to enrich the world through worship, mission, witness, and service. The BEACON gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following sponsors: Wauconda Funeral Home 235 North Main Street Wauconda, IL Mark A. Kisselburg Craig A. Kisselburg Phone Fax: Remember that all monetary gifts to the church are tax-deductible. Just make sure we know your name and address, and attach your name to your contribution each time! Thank you for donation.