Messenger october 2016

Transcription

1 Northbrook United Methodist Church Messenger october 2016 Together Each Accomplishes More Melissa Earley Right now, Nancy Metzler is learning about Publisher so that she can help put the newsletter together while our secretary had to leave town on a family emergency. Last Thursday, Michael Gail and Bob Yee led us in a Taize prayer service. Over the last week, Daniel Glazer and Kristie Grumbach have visited hospitalized and shut-in members of our church community. Last Sunday, Susan Clark led a group in a fall clean-up of our garden and then went with Karen Glazer to begin helping the refugee family we are co-sponsoring begin to get acclimated in their new community. On Thursday a group from our church had welcomed that refugee family with a meal cooked by Carol Konvalinka and welcomed them to an apartment that had been equipped with the various things a family needs all provided by many different people from our church. A week ago, Colleen Yudell went with Mike Ferren and Linda Reed to Kingswood UMC in Buffalo Grove to serve food prepared by others from our church at the Kingswood UMC, Buffalo Grove PADS shelter. These folks aren t looking for attention. In fact, they may squirm when they read this. They were who I thought of right off the top of my head when I was thinking about the ways people contribute to the ministry of our church. When everyone gives what they are able to of their time, their energy and their money the ministry of Northbrook UMC becomes a vital part of our individual lives and our community. Thank you! Church Conferences Coming Up A church conference is a meeting of the whole church in which members can vote. We have two upcoming church conferences: October 16 right after worship to decide about funding for roof repairs (see related article) October 25, Tuesday at 7:00 PM. This is our annual church conference with our District Superintendent.

2 Inter-Faith Group Addresses Racism by Alice Lonoff RAIN (Racial Awareness on the Northshore) is an inter-faith group that discusses White Privilege and racerelated issues. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month. Several from NUMC are active in this discussion group. Our meeting for October 5 th will be from 7 9:30 pm in Foundation Hall at the Bahai Temple (100 Linden Avenue, Wilmette). The speaker is Dr. Joy DeGruy who is internationally known for her work on race relations. Her talks are dynamic and inspirational. Her clients have included Harvard, Yale and Oxford University. Please plan to come to this extremely timely presentation. If you need a ride contact Alice Lonoff. Dear Friends and Members of Northbrook United Methodist Church: The most recent General Conference (the international gathering of United Methodist lay and clergy representatives which is the only body that can speak for the whole denomination) changed the Book of Discipline (our denomination s rule book) to read: To provide leadership for the funding ministry of the congregation, to ensure membership care including compliance with charitable giving documentation requirements and to provide appropriate pastoral care, the pastor, in cooperation with the financial secretary, shall have access to and responsibility for professional stewardship of congregational giving records. The finance committee believes this change to our congregation s practice will bring some benefits. Our pastor will now be able to: Thank people for giving as well as ask them to give. Help the finance committee plan for anticipated changes in giving based on changes in members lives. See a change in giving that could indicate personal upheaval or disappointment with the church on the one hand or growth in commitment and connection to the church on the other. If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please contact Heather MacDonald (finance chair), Karen Glazer (financial secretary) or Pastor Melissa Earley. Sincerely Heather MacDonald Chair of Finance Committee Karen Glazer Financial Secretary

3 NEW FOR THE 2017 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN Northbrook United Methodist Church is pleased to announce the introduction of an electronic option for making regular offerings. Soon contributions can be debited automatically from your checking or savings account. Our new electronic giving program offers convenience for you and much-needed donation consistency for our congregation and financial planning. When travel, illness or other circumstances prevent you from attending services, this program will allow your regular offerings to continue on an uninterrupted basis. Contributions for special offerings and holidays will also be available. Look for details later this fall. NUMC Finance Committee TAIZÉ PRAYER October 20, 6:45-7:15PM Taizé is a form of prayer that includes using simple, repetitive songs in many languages, silence and scripture readings. This 30-minute prayer service is a wonderful way to renew your spirit midweek. Our current instruments are piano and viola. This is a wonderful opportunity for other musicians (including vocal) to participate. You could join us on one song or on several. Please contact Pastor Melissa or Michael Gail if you would like to add your instrument or your voice, or simply arrive at 6:30 to rehearse. Movie Group The NUMC movie group meets in each others homes to view and then discuss. So far, we have seen: Slumdog Millionaire; Bridge of Spies; Departures; Waking Ned Devine and other movies. We likely will next meet on Friday, October 14 th. If CLASS FOR THOSE WHO ARE MARRIED, PARTNERED OR IN A COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP Sunday October 16, 5:00 6:30 PM, Taught by Kerrie Weber, LCPC Kerrie Weber, a participant at NUMC, with over 15 years of experience in the field of counseling and psychology will lead a four-week class on the book: "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by the country s foremost relationship expert, John Gottman. The class is for anyone interested in how to make a long-term relationship strong. Couples are encouraged to participate together. But don t worry, there won t be any clotheslines in the class, so no laundry (dirty or otherwise) will be aired. Please RSVP on our website. AGAPE Friends in Faith AGAPE will meet on Sunday October 9th and 23rd at 11:15 in room 9. This is an informal group that meets after worship on the second and fourth Sunday of the month. Sometimes we discuss books, sometimes we watch Ted Talks, and sometimes we just catch up with each other. If you are interested in learning more, please come to a meeting, or contact Alice at: alonoff@spyrnet.com.

4 MONDAY NIGHT STUDY GROUP CONTINUES AN OVERVIEW OF THE WHOLE BIBLE Mondays at 7:00 pm STUDY MATERIAL: We Make The Road By Walking by Brian McClaren A chance for honest reflection on the intersections of scripture and our lives. Movie Group By Alice Lonoff The NUMC movie group meets in each others homes to view and then discuss. So far, we have seen: Slumdog Millionaire; Bridge of Spies; Departures; Waking Ned Devine and other movies. We likely will next meet on Friday, October 14th. If interested, contact Alice at alonoff@sprynet.com. MINDFUL MEDITATION Mindfulness is the ability to know what is happening in your mind without being carried by it, Dan Harris, ABC News Anchor Mindfulness Experience with Paige Brooks continues through the fall. Dates of class include: October 17, November 21, December 12 at 7:00 pm Whether you have meditated before or not, this is a great way to Spend an hour learning to relax your whole being. LINE DANCE CLASS CONTINUES Tuesday evenings, through October 18 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Led by Dancemates, everyone loves this class! $50 for the 6 week series, payable at the first class

5 Chime Group - After the success of our Holiday chime group we would love to expand this program. Open to children and adults of all ages, you only need to be able to count and keep a steady beat! Our goal is to play during services several times a year. Contact Shirley Mosteller to learn more. Anonymous Donation of Stock to NUMC In late April, NUMC received a donation of 83 shares of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) stock to its brokerage account. Our broker does not have any information on who donated this stock to NUMC. We would like to thank the donor for this generous donation. We also want to give him/her credit for the donation on his/her quarterly statement of giving so he/she can take a tax deduction for this donation. SOPHIA CIRCLE We will start the year on Monday, October 17th, a delayed start, at church discussing mindful meditation. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with dinner in Penberthy Hall. We will be serving multiple salads and pasta dishes from Buca di Beppo, compliments of Sophia Circle. Then after 7:00, Paige Brooks will be leading us in readings and a discussion on mindful meditation. Whether you have meditated before or not, this is a great way to spend an hour learning to relax your whole being. Thanks Paige! Please R.S.V.P. to Karen if you are coming for dinner. All are welcome! Martha s Circle October 13, :00 am to noon All are welcome. This is a great time to see people you may not have seen all summer. Please join us. Please contact Linda Reed with questions or for a ride. If you donated this stock to NUMC and are willing to identify yourself confidentially to our Financial Secretary, please Karen Glazer, NUMC s Financial Secretary, at NUMCFinSecty@gmail.com. If you wish to remain anonymous, we want to again thank you for your support of NUMC and its ministries. Northbrook Welcome Team at the airport to welcome the Sattouf family from Syria. See related article on page 9 under Missions Update.

6 About Face Theatre Company s Production Looking Out//Looking In Coming to Northbrook United Methodist Church Wednesday, November 9, 7:00 8:30 PM youth from About Face Youth Theatre will perform sketches they ve written about their own real life. The dramatic pieces will touch on the issues of race, gender, self-esteem, class, family, sexuality and age. The plays and the talk-back to follow, each approximately 30 minutes (the balance of the time for informal conversation) are designed for an intergenerational audience of 13 years old and older. Younger children are welcome with their parents. There is no entry fee, but a free will offering will be taken. About Face Theatre is an innovative Chicago based theatre that was founded in 1995 to add lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voices to the American theatrical canon. Their Youth Theatre is an identity-affirming theatre activism program for LGBTQIA youth and their allies. They explore and expand the ways we define our race, nationality, gender, and sexuality. To learn more about the About Face Theatre Company s youth program visit their website at youth-theatre/. This is a great opportunity! Please invite your friends FOOD PANTRY DONATION The Northfield Food Pantry is asking for boxed stuffing for during the month of October. Please bring all donations to Penberthy. "Loving Our Aging Parents Well" This group of supportive friends will meet Sunday, October 9, 2016 at 4:00 PM. All are welcome NUMC HISTORY NUMC Sponsored a Refugee Family in 1981 Just over 35 years ago, Northbrook UMC sponsored the Chhor family from Cambodia. Here are some of the highlights... The father had limited English and the others had none. They lived in Ginny and Terry Kippa s basement with a small refrigerator, and portable cook-top. A member of the congregation took care of medical exams, school registration, immigration meetings, ESL registration and job searches. Several retired teachers, from the church, set up tutoring in the basement, with books, bulletin boards, and chalkboards. Items were labeled in English to help them with their vocabulary. We communicated through drawings and lots of time around the kitchen table. Dad told us the children were 6, 8, 10 and 12, while in fact, all were two years older. Dad s reasoning was to get them in a lower grade as only the oldest child has any schooling in Cambodia. The congregation was very generous with offerings of clothing and household items for temporary as well as eventual permanent housing. Finding a housing for a family of six was very difficult and our pastor had to fib about the number in the family in order to get them into a small apartment in the area. Anita Oberg

7 All Church Read Speaking of Faith by Krista Tippet Wednesday, October 19, 7:00 PM Tippett illustrates a way to speak about faith that defuses the many conflicts surrounding religion. Her way of speaking about the mysteries of life and of listening with care to those who endeavor to understand those mysteries is nothing short of revolutionary. (From the back of the book) Krista Tippet is the host of a popular public radio program called On Being that deals with the intersections of spirituality and every day human life. On her show she talks with people from a variety of disciplines about subjects such as science, love, virtue, violence and politics. Join us for a discussion of her book Speaking of Faith in which she draws from her own life experience and the intimate and intellectual conversations with her guests. Major Roof Repair Coming The roof over Penberthy Hall has repeatedly been repaired for leaks and the new leaks have been found in the flat portions of the sanctuary roof. There is evidence of water damage in some portions of the brick walls in Penberthy and in the wall by the south entrance that goes out to the memorial garden. After extensive research the trustees have determined that a roofing project is necessary. This project will include adding an incline to the flat parts of the roof over the windows of the sanctuary so that water runs off the roof and doesn t pool. To avoid more damage over the winter the trustees hope to have the project completed this fall. Church council recommended using Land Sale funds for which one quarter of the project costs need to be raised by the congregation. For projects that are over $50,000 church conference approval is required. They also see several projects which will require matching funds (completing the resurfacing of the parking lot, rebuilding the entry ramp, some cosmetic work, repairs to Sunday school room floors, painting). Instead of asking the congregation several times for funds, the finance committee will propose a campaign to raise funds for all these projects at one time in the winter or spring. To move forward on the roof repair church council recommends borrowing money from the endowment. To borrow money from the endowment a church conference vote is required. A church conference is a meeting of our whole church. Members can vote. All are welcome to participate. Sunday, October 16 at 11:00 AM. The motions we will consider are: Borrow up to $75,000 from the endowment for rebuilding the roof over Penberthy Hall and the flat potions of the sanctuary roof to fix long term leak issues. Use up to $56,250 of the Land Sale funds to repay the endowment after the required ¼ match of $18,750 has been raised.

8 It s been six years since NUMC published its most recent photo directory. We have had many changes in our membership, so we ve decided to create a new, current photo directory. For every family unit that has its photo taken at NUMC, Lifetouch Photographers will donate $5 to NUMC. We plan to use this money for mission activities and are open to suggestions for specific uses. Each family unit will receive a free copy of its photo; also, the photo directory is free for NUMC. If you like the photos and want to order copies from Lifetouch, you are free to do so, but you are under no obligation. If you do order reprints, they will arrive in time to be included with your Christmas cards. Lifetouch will be taking photos at NUMC on Wednesday, October 26 through Saturday, October 29. The photo sessions are 10 minutes long. For Wednesday Friday, Oct , the hours available are 2 pm 8:40 pm. For Saturday, Oct. 29, the hours are 10 am 4:40 pm. We ve already signed up folks, so some of these slots are already filling up. Karen Glazer will be signing folks up for photo sessions after church in October. You can also Karen at glazdan@iit.edu or NUMC s Administrative Assistant Helayne Levin at office@northbrookumc.org to make an appointment to get your picture taken. Please include your requested date/time, the number of people to be photographed, and the number of pets, if any, and your phone number in your request. Thank you, in advance, for your participation! JOB OPPORTUNITY AT NUMC NURSERY ATTENDANT Sunday mornings, 9:30 am to 11:30 am MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER Contact Greg Metzler,

9 Missions Update Kingswood Summer Supper Many thanks to those that cooked and served for the homeless for the Kingswood Summer Suppers on Sept. 19th: Colleen Yudell, Karen Wells, Linda Reed, and Mike Ferren. We had a great evening and hopefully helped to fill their stomachs and their souls as we ate and visited with them. Kingswood Church is now a PADS location. They are always looking for additional volunteers if you re interested in exploring other ways to support our local homeless population. The Sattouf Family Update (Syrian Refugee Family) It s wonderful how quickly volunteers came together to support the arrival of our Syrian refugee family, the Sattoufs. We furnished and set up their apartment, greeted them at the airport, made a welcome meal, stocked their refrigerator and pantry and have now begun our weekly mentoring process to aid in their integration to the US and to their local community in Rogers Park. We appreciate the Endowment Fund support for a major portion of our financial obligations and for your on-going prayers and financial contributions to our missions to make all this possible. Special thanks to the following volunteers and supporters: Airport Greeting Team: Reed Boyer, John Cheung, Karen Glazer, Glen Hamrick and Sharon Noha Welcome Meal & Groceries: Carol and Greg Konvalinka Welcome Gifts-Alice Lonoff, Phaedra Wilson, Susan Clark, John Cheung, Karen & Daniel Glazer, Glen Hamrick and Sharon Noha. Kitchen and Cleaning Supplies: Glen Hamrick and Sharon Noha Bedroom Supplies: Nancy Metzler Bathroom Supplies: Lona Louis Mentoring Team: Susan & Lucie Clark, Melissa Earley, Karen Glazer, Peter Greulich, Erin Gosser, Glen Hamrick, Carol Konvalinka, and Sharon Noha. Meals at The Boulevard (formerly Interfaith House) The Boulevard provides a healing environment and resources to help ill and injured homeless adults restore their health, rebuild their lives and regain self-sufficiency. NUMC has committed to preparing and serving lunch for the residents of The Boulevard. Out last date of this year is: Sunday, October 23, 2016 You can choose to help cook and serve on the day of the meal or lead the project by planning and shopping in addition to working on the day of service. We leave NUMC at 8:30 a.m., arrive at The Boulevard around 9:15, and work until about 12:30 p.m. Participants must be over the age of 18 to cook and over 14 to serve. Please contact Linda Nixon at if you would like to participate in this service opportunity. Thanks for considering this important mission work! Linda

10 CAN PROJECT UPDATE Dan Lloyd The Can Project (the what?) started about four years ago with high hopes. It was a fundraising project. The goal was to collect enough cans, redeem them for cash and with that cash place solar panels on the church s roof. Like the dreamer i ve always been, I figured that besides members of NUMC, people in the Village would flock to support such a noble project and why not. Afterall, when we raised enough money for NUMC s solar panels, we d continue to collect cans and raise money so that other organizations in town could install solar panels. In our little patch of the world, we would be doing our part to lessen the ill effects of global warming. Then we hit a couple road blocks. The major hurdle was the cost of installing solar panels. We re talking about fifty thousand dollars or more. In our first full year of operation, we raised about three hundred dollars from the Can Project. And, there didn t seem to be a groundswell of support for the project in Northbrook. At that rate, it would take one hundred sixty-six years to raise enough money to install the solar panels the church would need for an adequate system. Up until the end of 2015, the money we collected from the recycling of cans went into the Church s green fund account. Beginning this year, the funds were diverted to SHORE Community Services, an agency based in Skokie that provides a number of programs for developmentally disabled children and adults. Cans now come from Shore Training Center that houses the agency s job training program, Chestnut Square in Glenview donates about six bags of cans every month or so, my sister and people in her neighborhood, a small business in Oak Brook and NUMC. As of January 1, 2016, all those cans and donors have generated $ To put it another way. The first three quarters of the year, people have donated over 485 pounds of aluminum cans or individual cans. The NUMC Can Project may not be altering the course of history, but it s doing a heck of a lot more good than a kick in the teeth. Jim Will Memorial Service There ill be a memorial service to celebrate the life of Jim Will. It will be held at Kingswood UMC, at 11 a.m., on Saturday, Octob 22. There will be a luncheon at the church after the service.

11 Northbrook UMC Youth Calendar Fall 2016 September 4 Labor Day Weekend No Sunday school or youth group 2 10 a.m p.m. October Communion Sunday no class Richardson Corn Maze Covenant Harbor Forms and $ due a.m. Sunday School Youth Group at NUMC 9 10 a.m. Sunday School Youth Group a.m. Sunday school Youth + Tweens Groups with dinner a.m. 11 a.m. Sunday School Summer 2017 Canoe Planning Meeting Youth + Tweens groups with dinner a.m. Sunday School Youth Group Homecoming weekend 23 Youth Group :00 p.m. 11:00 a.m. Depart for Covenant Harbor Return from Covenant Harbor November December 6 10 a.m. Communion Sunday no class 4 10 a.m. Communion Sunday no class a.m. Sunday School Youth Group with other churches Outdoor NUMC a.m. Sunday school Youth group a.m. Sunday School Youth + Tweens Groups with Dinner a.m. Christmas Pageant 27 First Sunday of Advent/Thanksgiving Weekend No Sunday school or youth group 24 Christmas Eve Worship a.m. Christmas Day Worship Please check the website calendar for more information: Or contact Christine@northbrookumc.org

12 25 Alternatives To How Was Your Day? Family conversations are important for connecting with one another, showing love and care, and nurturing our faith. Whether you have five minutes in the car or an hour over dinner, try a couple of these questions to get meaningful discussion started. Who are you especially thankful for today? When did you feel loved today? What was the best thing that happened at school today? Tell me something that made you laugh today. When were you the happiest today? Did you have any opportunities to help others today? Tell me about a time you had to choose to do the right thing. Were you able to follow the rules today? Tell me about your bus ride/ walk to school. What news events did you hear about? How are you and your friends getting along? When did you notice God today? Who would you like to pray for today? What Bible stories did you think of today? Why? When were you bored today? Which part of the day went fastest? Slowest? Tell me something you need to practice to get better at. Who would you like to talk to that you've never really spent time with before? What are the kindest words you heard today? Who said them? Are there things that you wish you had said in a different way? Name something you are interested in learning more about. What is the hardest rule to follow? Why? What places need our prayers for peace? Have you had enough hugs today?

13 NORTHBROOK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1190 Western Avenue Northbrook, IL Phone: Mailing Label