THE NEWSLETTER VOLUME XXVI, ISSUE I SPRING FROM THE PASTOR S PEN: Missionary Day 2010

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1 THE NEWSLETTER VOLUME XXVI, ISSUE I SPRING 2010 DUPAGE African Methodist Episcopal Church 4300 Yackley Avenue Lisle, IL fax info@dupageamec.org Rev. Dr. James F. Miller Senior Pastor Rev. Lana Parks Miller Executive Pastor Rev. Louis Toney Presiding Elder Rt. Rev. John R. Bryant Presiding Prelate FROM THE PASTOR S PEN: Missionary Day 2010 Commit your way to the Lord, trust in God and God will act. Psalm 37:5 Two of the most dynamic and renowned preachers of the gospel will bless our Annual Missionary recognition on Sunday, April 11 th. At 7 am Pastor Tracy Smith Malone of Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton is guaranteed to give us a praise-aerobics workout. She is quite simply a stomp-down gospel preacher. Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown At the 8:15 am & 11:15 am worship services Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Associate Professor at Candler Theological Seminary, Emory University (Atlanta, GA) who teaches preachers how to preach, will show us how its done in Jesus name. Our President Betty Dixon leads our Sarah Allen Missionary Society in a most progressive program of ministering to youth and persons experiencing some of life s misfortunes. Some of the Missionary Societies programs include: High School Scholarships, YPD Supervision, Thanksgiving Meal/Grocery Distribution, Christmas Angel Tree, support of local charitable organizations, and many more. The Sarah Allen Missionary Society God bless you now, and see you in church! Pastor Miller Rev. Dr. Tracy Smith Malone Our Missionary Society is a wonderful women s fellowship for persons concerned with and interested in participating in ministry and youth development.

2 WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS We welcome the following New Members to our DuPage AME Church family! May each of you always be open to the ministry of the Lord s church. Remember that active Christians make churches that are alive! PAGE 2 Darryl & Denise Parks Aurora Rhonda M. Jones Naperville Roy & Rodessa Jones Roy Jr., Rodessa Jr., Amaree Jones Estavaughn Gordon Plainfield Kathryn McClain Naperville Deidre P. Sunter Naperville Shimika Sidney Woodridge Madeline Steward & Charles Curley Denver, Colorado Aaron & Donielle Johnson Aurora Michael & Peg Wright Kristopher, Jordan, Brandon Oswego Carmen Crusoe Plainfield Marvin Carter Lisle Portia Washington Lisle Stuart Warner Naperville Tremaine Moore Naperville Brantley Brown Westmont Michael & Cassandra Montgomery Elgin Sharon Murphy & Ian Murphy-Crowder Oak Park Carl Moten Darien James Posten Hazel Crest Henry & Loretta Johnson James, Carolyn, Henry III Willowbrook Latracey Demiles Addison Elizabeth Washington & Jada Warrenville Kelly McNamara Aurora Amanda Hudson Addison Robert Truman Bolingbrook Kammie & Britt Allen Bria & Austin Aurora THE NEWSLETTER is a publication of DuPage AME Church, 4300 Yackley Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532, Staff Rev. Lana Parks Miller, Rev. Morgan Dixon, Nicollé McKee , info@dupageamec.org. Editor reserves the right to edit for content and space. Our aim is to communicate with you, provide an outreach to you, and truly reflect the spirit of the congregation and it s leadership. THE NEWSLETTER is published quarterly.

3 DUPAGE AME CHURCH YOUTH CONVOCATION 2010 PAGE 3 Empire GOD State Empire State JESUS CHRIST of Mind HOLY SPIRIT Friday, April 23 rd Saturday, April 24 th Friday April 23 rd CONVOCATION SCHEDULE 7:15 pm Praise Party Sunbeam Choir, Inspirational Choir, Voices of Tomorrow, S.T.O.P., Scouting Ministry, Living Worship Dancers Romans 12: 1-2 MSG GUEST ARTISTS Mind Over Matter Saturday, April 24 th Workshops REACHA & PRESENTERP RESENTER GUESTUEST PREACHA 8:30 am Breakfast 9 am Workshops: Me & God in the Chat Room Who Ya Wit? Reppin In Cyberspace Empire State of Mind 12:15 pm Lunch & Dismissal Rev. Darius L. Thomas Greater Allen Cathedral of New York WORKSHOP PRESENTERS Rev. Sheri Smith Clayborn Rev. Dr. Patrick Clayborn Sunday, April 25 th YPD SUNDAY GUEST PREACHERS...take your life and place it before God as an offering God brings the best out of you

4 DUPAGE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SARAH ALLEN WOMEN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY presents the Rebecca Smith-Andoh Celebration of Talents Living Worship PAGE 4 FEATURING : /F DANCERS FROM THE ALVIN AILEY/F /FORDHAM BFA PROGRAMP UNDER & THET G.O.N.E. BRASSB UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PRESTON MILLER RASS ENSEMBLE OF DUPAGE AME CHURCH AME C Saturday, April 24 th 6 o clock Glenbard South High School Auditorium 23 W 200 Butterfield Road, Glen Ellyn, IL Donation: $10 and $25 DONATIONS BENEFIT THE E DUPAGE AME CHURCH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM...take your life and place it before God as an offering God brings the best out of you Romans 12:1-2 MSG

5 PAGE 5 12 TH ANNUAL REBECCA SMITH-ANDOH CELEBRATION OF TALENTS...take your life and place it before God as an offering God brings the best out of you Romans 12:1-2 MSG Saturday, April 24 th, 6 pm will be a unique performing and worship experience of artist excellence. This year again, a presentation of modern dance will be featured. Living Worship will incorporate the choreography of our own Preston Miller, along with others. The dancers are matriculating through Fordham University in New York and the Alvin Ailey Dance Program and are some of the most promising dance professionals. Many have already been contracted with Ailey II and seen on So You Think You Can Preston Miller Dance. Come and see both liturgical and modern dance at its best! Scholarship recipients for 2010 will be announced at this program. Your $10 or $25 ticket donation directly supports the DuPage AMEC Scholarship Program. The DuPage AME Church Scholarship Program, facilitated through the Sarah Allen Women s Missionary Society, was implemented in From 1998 to 2001, scholarships were awarded on a one-time basis to all applicants. In 2002 the first four-year scholarship was awarded and named for Andriess Walker, one of our deceased teens. As a result of corporate support and generous donations from the church membership, we now offer a four-year award named for Missionary Sister and Founding Church Member, Mary Lou Finley. The Ferguson Scholarship was established by our member James Ferguson and is also a four-year award. This year we are adding the Powell-Ware UNCF Scholarship which was made possible by the generous donation of David & Leatha Ware and family. It will be a one time award to a graduating senior who will be attending one of the 39 UNCF member schools. All graduating high school seniors who are members of DuPage were encouraged to apply for scholarships and had the opportunity to do so before the end of March. Every member who is a graduating senior and applies will be granted some type of financial assistance toward your continued education all that was required was the completed application! Applications are being reviewed and scholarships will be awarded based on financial need and academic achievement. Additional community scholarship applications can be found outside the church offices and are open to all graduating seniors. The Rebecca Smith-Andoh Celebration of Talents directly benefits the Scholarship Program and serves as its annual fundraiser.

6 PAGE 6 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT SUBMITTED BY THE CLASS LEADER S COUNCIL Eugene & Kourtney Madison Eugene Madison and his daughter Kourtney Madison were our Honorees at the North District Church School Annual Roy L Miller Scholarship Banquet. Eugene Madison retired from Lucent Technologies after 28 years of service. At Lucent, Eugene served as Physical Designer of Telephone equipment and subject matter expert across three different technologies. In addition Eugene was a lead Engineer on the Wireless product line and holds a Wireless product feature patent as a Co- Inventor. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Benedictine University, an Associates Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from DeVry University, and an E-Business Certification from Lewis University. Eugene is married to Glennis W. Madison and they have 3 daughters Kamaran Alexis (Educator), Kristen Ariel (College Student), and Kourtney Alexander. They have resided in Naperville for 26 years. Since joining DuPage AME Church about 4 years ago, Eugene and Kourtney have both been active members of the Sunday School. Eugene serves as a teacher for the Vacation Bible Study. He is a member of the Brotherhood, Intercessory Prayer Ministry, and Usher Board where he also serves as Chaplain. Eugene has a passion for the Bible Study. He regularly attends weekly Bible Study and also completed a two year Bible study program at Ambassador Bible College to gain a deeper understanding of the Word. Before attending DuPage AME, the Madisons were members of The First Baptist Congregational Church in Chicago for 33 years. After retiring Eugene felt they needed a Church home in their community so the family could be more active. Eventually the Lord led the Madisons to DuPage. Eugene is a strong supporter and active participant in various youth outreach programs such as High School Career Days, and recruiting and mentoring to inner city youth. The Madison family believes in putting God first and leading by example. In Eugene's own words "I believe in demonstrating and not dictating." Kourtney Madison is a freshman at Naperville Central High School. She has served in various capacities at DuPage AME Church including assisting with Angel Church, singing with the Inspirational and Voices of Tomorrow Choirs, and serving on the Hospitality Committee. She regularly attends Teen Sunday School and has even taught her class on occasion. Kourtney was a member of the 2nd Place Bible Bowl Team. Kourtney is a long time member of the Girl Scouts starting as a Brownie and advancing to a Junior Cadet. She has earned a Bronze Award and is working to achieve her Silver Award. Kourtney is a member of the Naperville Central H.S. Concert Choir and plays clarinet. She has won the Blue Ribbons from the District 203 Music festival in 2008 and Kourtney also volunteers as a "reading buddy" for the primary students at Naperville Public Library.

7 PAGE 7 Pam Jones MEMBER SPOTLIGHT SUBMITTED BY THE CLASS LEADER S COUNCIL DuPage AME Church Sunday School Superintendent Pam Jones has been a member of DuPage AME since its days at the little white church in Wheaton. Originally from Detroit, Michigan Pam moved to the Chicago-land area 25 years ago, where she met and married her husband Lynn Jones. Both Pam and Lynn are both very active with DuPage AME. As the Superintendent of our Sunday School program, you can find Pam leading the Sunday School between the 8:15 and 11:15 services. When she s not working as a Human Resources Manager for Fifth Third Bank, Pam enjoys cooking, reading the Bible, and entertaining family and friends. When asked what she likes most about being a member of DuPage AME, Pam explains that she loves how God has used her connection with the church to bring her closer to Him. Pam credits her relationship with God as the constant blessing that has helped her manage life s ups and downs. As her connection to her church family grew so did her connection to God. Over the 20 years that she s been a member, Pam has participated in several different ministries. However it was leading others in Sunday school that matched her interests and talents most. Her first experience was as a parent. Pam volunteered to help manage the Children s Church when her daughters were at that age. Initially, her goal was to expose the children to a solid religious foundation. As she expanded her role with the church however, Pam found that her faith and connection to God grew in the process. Pam has 3 pieces of advice for new members: 1) Attend Sunday School. It will help you to see God s word in ways that will benefit you personally. 2) Get actively involved in something the church is doing. You will get out of your church experience what you put in. 3) If you volunteer in one place and it doesn t fit as well as you d like, don t get discouraged. There are many different opportunities to volunteer from singing in the choir to helping with the church family s youth. Try different things until you find something that fit s your gifts. The Class Leaders Council hosts an activity called Tour DuPage. It s an excellent opportunity for new members to get exposure to the different ministries in the church. So the next time you are in church, think about coming to Sunday School. When you get there, tell them that Pam sent you.

8 PAGE 8 LORD SEND A REVIVAL & LET IT BEGIN WITH ME! Wednesday, May 12 th Friday, May 14 th 7:15 pm nightly Beginning Wednesday, May 12 th, we will be in our Annual SPRING REVIVAL. This year, we are happy to welcome back, Rev. Matthew L. Watley, Executive Minister at Reid Temple AME Church in Glenn Dale, Maryland. Rev. Watley is no stranger here at DuPage and we are excited to share in revival with him in this new season of expansion and growth. Our choirs will sing nightly as we praise God together and give thanks. We encourage all to come, give thanks, and hear Rev. Watley invoke the spirit of the Lord to help revive us again! Rev. Matthew L. Watley Revival Choir Schedule: Wednesday A Cappella Ensemble & Gospel Choir Thursday Chancel Choir & Voices of Praise Friday Sunbeam Choir, Inspirational Choir, Voices of Tomorrow, S.T.O.P. THE INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY INTRODUCES PRAYER EXPERIENCE Experience God in a new way through prayer! Come out and have a Prayer Experience with us on Tuesday May 18 th in the fellowship hall and Tuesday, May 25 th in the sanctuary. On both evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, the Intercessory Prayer ministry will provide participatory small group chapels to enrich your prayer life. We will cover topics such as journaling your prayers, praying the names of God and dancing your prayers. Learn how to confess God s will over an issue by praying the scriptures. Do you want to your enhance your prayer life? Come and learn how to combine scriptures with photographs to assemble a prayer scrapbook. Some chapels are designed to encourage group participation with a learn-by-doing method. Others such as Abiding in His presence and Prayer & Communion are more meditative for a private introspective time of understanding. Does it seem as if you are praying the same prayer over and over again? Then please come out and experience God through prayer in a fresh new way. We welcome everyone (adults and our youth) to participate in this experience for spiritual growth and nourishment. We especially invite each auxiliary chaplain and all altar prayer leaders to attend. We look forward to seeing you and we are always praying for you!

9 PAGE 9 ANNUAL CLASS LEADER DAY On Sunday, May 16 th our guest preacher will be Rev. Dr. Regina C. Groff, a former pastor in Denver, Colorado, now living in Washington, D.C. as we celebrate the service of the Class Leader Council. The Class Leader Council is a group of over 65 members appointed by the pastor to facilitate communication between pastor and the membership as officers. The Council meets monthly and is organized into 7 committees: Pastoral Partners, Church Interaction, Tour DuPage, Membership/Council Care, New Members & Visitors Outreach, Member Integration, and Membership Promotion. Charles Baker is our current Class Leader Council Coordinator. Rev. Dr. Regina C. Groff The Class Leader Council is a wonderful place to serve the Lord and grow in Christ. You may contact the Pastor, Executive Pastor, or Charles Baker, Council s Coordinator if you have an interest in serving as a Class Leader. Some of the members of the Class Leader Council CHURCH DIRECTORY PHOTOS NOW through May Ted McKee, our Church Photographer, and The Media Ministry will be taking family photos to be included in our Church Directory. Come down to the Fellowship Hall after services on Sunday through May and have your photo taken TODAY. There is no charge to have your photo taken and is a great way for us to get to know one another. The completed Church Directory will be completed and distributed in September in conjunction with our 31 st Church Anniversary. Please plan to take your family photo!

10 To God Be The Glory! PAGE 10 Brotherhood Singing 100 on Men s Day 2010 For additional images and video clips from Men s Day and up-to-date progress on the Expansion Project, please visit the DuPage AME Church FAN PAGE on FACEBOOK! Become a fan today! MOBILE FOOD BANK (R.E.A.C.H.) We thank all the many volunteers who have assisted with the Food Bank. We are now in our third year of service to over 2500 families by distributing over 200,000 lbs of food. Upcoming dates include: Saturday, April 17 th 3 5 pm Saturday, May 8 th 10 am 12 Noon Make a contribution of your service! To volunteer please contact Dr. Sweet through the church office. Your assistance is greatly appreciated! When I was hungry you fed Me Matthew 25:35

11 PAGE 11 DATES TO REMEMBER APRIL 2 Good Friday Worship Service 4 Resurrection Easter Sunday Cloud of Witness Victory Sunday 10 Inspirational Choir Concert 11 Missionary Day Women s Day Kick-Off Meeting 17 REACH Food Pantry Youth Convocation 24 Rebecca Smith-Andoh Celebration of Talents 25 YPD Day MAY 8 REACH Food Pantry 9 Mother s Day Spring Revival 16 Class Leader Day It is not too early. It is not too late. Now is the time For me to test out my wings, To try out my voice, To give birth to unborn parts of my self. I have been waiting for this moment all my life, even before I knew myself. On one level I have never been here before. On another level I have been rehearsing for this moment all my life. Teach me what I do not know, Lord. I am ready from within. The deadline for submissions to the Summer Edition NEWSLETTER is April 30 th. We want to hear from you and your ministry in the church. Let us begin, God. By Renita J. Weems From Showing Mary, 2002 Next Edition: Women s Day 2010 WOMEN WORKING FOR THE LORD WOMEN WORKING FOR THE LORD Colossians 3:23 24

12 DUPAGE AME CHURCH 4300 YACKLEY AVENUE LISLE, IL AGEAMEC.ORG Small Enough To Care, Large Enough To Share!