Immanuel United Church of Christ - Evergreen Park, IL. Pastors Message:

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1 The Immanuel Herald Immanuel United Church of Christ - Evergreen Park, IL January & February 2018 Special points of interest: Bible Study meets at 10am on Monday mornings in the Parlor AA support meetings at 8:00-9:00 pm on Monday evening in room 105 Enjoy a Free concert on the 2nd Sunday each month at 2:00pm Al-Non support meetings at 8:00-9:00pm on Monday evening in room 102 Get fit with Beverly Bodyworks - schedule posted by gym Master Zumba is coming in February Welcome Judy Lee s Violin program Service to God s People since 1883 Ministers All members of the congregation Staff Rev. Michelle McNamara Interim Pastor Pastors Message: Working with the liturgy for the season just past, these words echoed repeatedly; When does an ordinary life Become extraordinary - a mundane day become revolutionary - a moment in time change history? When God enters in! These words guided the new year of Advent as it unfolded. Yet, we normally begin our New Year, not with the liturgical calendar but with the Gregorian one. Still I wanted to hold onto the inspiration of these simple words. Seeking to do so is what led me to find Sacred Ordinary Days, by Jenn Giles Kemper & Lacy Clark Ellman. This created resource is a free podcast, and yet is also a liturgical planner. I am suggesting this podcast in January, because I am fully aware most people in the congregation just smiled when I began worship on December 3 with Happy New Year! January 1 st, is the date for New Year, traditionally. And, honoring that tradition, I know that there is also a societal temptation to set a New Year s resolutions. These resolutions are most often goal oriented. In the words of Giles Kemper Goals and intentions are task-based and work best within a quantifiable measure of success and an easily marked ending point. Something more process-oriented is helpful when you d like to reorient toward being over achieving. In the church, I suggest this is who we are. We are created in the Divine image we are human beings. (not human doings, or human achieving's) (Continued on page 3) Sarah Jenks Director of Music Jim Harris Custodian Joyce Byrnes Director of Immanuel Community Preschool Sunday, January 14th Cub Scout Pack 3618 will be serving breakfast at 9am. Free Will Offering First Publication 01/01/2018 NOTICE: There will be a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, January 21st following worship. This meeting shall cover the election of officers and the review of annual reports of the Council and various committees Page 1

2 January Calendar January Worship Leaders Sunday January 7th 10:00 am Communion Worship & Christmas take down following worship Sun 7th 14th 21st 28th Ushers Team #2 Nancy Team #3 Team #4 Team #1 Rahm Art Busse Karen Wyka Erin Taylor Liturgist Needed Needed Needed Needed Monday, January 8th Flowers Elsie Art & Sandy Busse Gerald & Verna Snip Available 7:00 pm Church Council Murlowski Thursday, January 11th 4:00 pm Worship Committee Sunday January 14th 9:00 am Cub Scout Pancake Breakfast Joyful Noise Coin Collection for Doctors Without Borders Baptism - Calib West Johnson 2:00 pm 2nd Sunday Concert Sunday, January 21st Following worship Congregational Meeting - Election of Officers Sunday, January 28th 11:30 am Finance Committee CHILD CARE is available on the lower level during Sunday worship 9:45 11:15 am Bulletins Available Jane & Duane Feurer Gerald & Verna Snip Available Fellowship Needed Al Eriksen Needed Needed Carson s Community Days Thank you to Lois Ann Murphy for coordinating the Community Days coupon book sale. Lois sold 55 books and Immanuel received $275. Twice a year Carson s gives back to the community by providing discount coupon books for organization to sell. Your $5 purchase gets you over $200 in savings and the organizations raises money. What goes up - Many churches hold a service of preparation for Christ s coming, which includes hanging greenery traditionally associated with everlasting life. Greens such as cedar for royalty, fir and pine boughs for everlasting life, holly symbolizing Jesus s death and ivy representing the resurrection are used. Must come down - On Sunday, January 7th volunteers will be taking down and packing away our holiday decorations for another year. We will be serving chicken noodle and cheddar broccoli soups. A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board for any incidentals that we will need and for those who will attend. Page 2

3 Preschool Open house Immanuel Community Preschool will host its Open House/Fall Registration for new students on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 5pm -7pm. To or from a church event call Bob O Neill Or Lois Murphy Parents will have the opportunity to meet the teachers, learn more about our program and register for the school year. Core classes for 3-5 year olds meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday mornings or afternoons. In addition, we also offer for 4 and 5 year olds a Monday morning Junior Kindergarten class and a Friday morning Fine arts program. Immanuel has been serving the community for 48 years. For more information contact Director Joyce Byrnes or 2nd Sunday is Joyful Noise Coin Collection Registrar Bette Engemann or the church office Immanuel UCC Presents Glow-ga and then some with Ginny 2 nd Sunday Concert Series January 14th at 2:00pm February 11th at 2:00 pm Sanctuary Immanuel United Church of Christ 9815 S Campbell Ave Evergreen Park, Come join Ginny from Beverly Bodyworks on Friday, January 12, 2018 from 6:30pm -- 8:30pm in Schmiechen Hall for a glow in the dark experience. The allure: Unlike a typical class, practicing in near darkness makes you more cognizant of your surroundings your brain relies on heightened awareness from senses other than vision to process sensory information in order to stay balanced plus it tons of fun! Wear white or neon for the brightest clothes under the black light and for added fun add LED accessories. All levels welcome. Admission is $15.00 and includes a glow bracelet. All proceeds go to the church. Pastors Message: (Continued from page 1) Listening to the podcast, Giles Kemper uses the language of play as she talks about trying certain spiritual practices. This is what we are invited to do, simply try them try playing with silence. When we are invited to try to play it seem more inviting, less like there is a right and a wrong way to approach a spiritual discipline. She extends the same flexibility she found helpful in her experience with the Rule of Life. In this there is grace and freedom to shift, grow, and practice, always in the constant posture of a learner. When we pay attention to the language we use, we can shift our language. In so doing we can invite ourselves to be open to a becoming-mindset and shift gradually away from a goal-based approach. The Rule of Life aims to create a framework for being and becoming, rather than checking something off a list. Practical and spiritual goals fit into this framework as prayer and Bible reading can get sidelined into another item on the to-do list. Henri Nouwen said: A rule offers creative boundaries within which God s loving presence can be recognized and celebrated. It does not prescribe but invite, it does not force but guide, it does not threaten but warn, it does not instill fear but points to love. In this it is a call to freedom, freedom to love looks to be another busy year. I invite you, to play with the idea of envisioning what you want to create space for in your spiritual life. I invite you to prayerfully engage in your journey in 2018, contemplating how you are become more of the person God created you to be. Each time you enter the church and sit beneath the arches or look at the rose window, imagine the God who created you, and reflect on the year ahead. Pastor Michelle Page 3

4 Immanuel Basketball League 2018 What a response we received to our open registration for the 2018 HotShots league! There are a total of st, 2 nd, and 3 rd graders who signed up to play! The 12 teams will practice Monday Thursday beginning the week of January 8 th. Games will be played every Saturday from January 20 th March 17 th from 8am 2pm. With the increase in teams, we need a few more hands on deck to help with the concession stand. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board and we ask that you consider helping out for a morning (8am 11am) or afternoon (11am 2pm), or stay with us for the full day! This is the 25 th year for the HotShots program. It not only is an excellent instructional league that is well-respected in the community, but also is a big revenue source for the church. Profit from the registrations alone totals over $18,500! Please help us continue to provide a quality program by donating some of your time. Thank you. Master Zumba Class with Victor Mark your calendars for Friday February 9, More information to come! Hannah Circle Thank you to everyone that baked and/or bought a box of our cookies during our cookie walk. 60 boxes of cookies were purchased for a profit of $ Enjoy and remember they are all fat free. Tee! Hee! Our Lent journey begins Lent is one of our liturgical seasons in the church. It lasts forty days, not counting Sundays. The Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday (February 14 th this year) and it ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter (April 1 st this year). It is 40 days to represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, being tempted and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent traditionally is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It can also be a time of self-examination and reflection. When the church was just beginning, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians are often invited to focus on their relationship with God, some choose to give up something or to volunteer thereby giving of themselves for others. The reason Sundays are excluded in the 40 days of Lent count is because each Sunday represents a "mini- Easter." The thought being that through worship on Sunday, the joyful presence of the Lord is made known and a taste of the Resurrection is experienced. Altar Flowers and Worship Bulletins November 26th - Altar flowers and worship bulletins given in honor of Frank Brzeczek and in memory of Connie Brzeczek on what would have been their 70th wedding anniversary by Connie Dobbin. December 3rd - Altar flowers and worship bulletins given in memory of Mark Wyka by his wife Karen Wyka. December 10th - Altar flowers and worship bulletins given in memory of Duane s father, Erwin Feurer, by Jane and Duane Feurer. December 17th - Altar flowers and worship bulletins given to wish Happy 17th Birthday to Hannah Rahm with love from mom, dad, and Nolan. December 24th - Thanks to all who purchased poinsettias to decorate our sanctuary this holiday. January 6th Jim Harris 10th Marilyn Islinger 21st Verna Snip February 1st Connie Dobbin 4th Nancy Rahm Tom & Connie Dobbin 46th wedding Anniversary on the 6th Page 4

5 February Calendar February Worship Leaders Thursday February 1st 11:30 am Women s Guild Meeting Sunday February 4th 10:00 am Communion Worship & Sun 4th 11th 18th 25th Ushers Team #2 Nancy Rahm Team #3 Art Busse Team #4 Karen Wyka Team #1 Erin Taylor Liturgist Needed Needed Needed Needed Flowers Rahm Family Al & Dolores Eriksen Available Available Thursday, February 8th 4:00 pm Worship Committee Meeting Bulletins Rahm Family Linda Barrios Available Lois Murphy Fellowship Needed Al Eriksen Needed Needed Sunday February 11th Joyful Noise Coin Collection 2:00 pm 2nd Sunday Concert Monday February 12th 7:00 pm Church Council Meeting Wednesday February 14th Ash Wednesday 6:00 pm Soup Supper 7:00 Worship Service Thursday, February 15th March Herald Deadline Sunday, February 18th Sunday, February 25th CHILD CARE is available on the lower level during Sunday worship 9:45 11:15 am Women s Guild Meeting Our first meeting of 2018 will be held on Thursday, February 1st at 11:30 in room 105. Hosting the luncheon will be members of Non- Circle B group. Following lunch we will be making our annual Valentines for the veterans in the VA hospital. Our faithful instructor, Sue Mueller, will be with us for this most enjoyable day. Plan to join us. Cost of lunch is $6.00 per person. Membership News Keep in our prayers Ruth Berg Judy Borowiak Marilyn Buikema Randy Ebling Don Mattz ********************************** Memorials The table decorations for the men s club Christmas dinner were given in memory of Bob Mueller by his wife, Sue. To the North Wall repairs In memory of LaVerne Bresnahan by Women s Guild Allen & Dolores Eriksen ********************************** Connie Dobbin mourns the death of her brother Frank Brzeczek Jr who passed away December 1, 2017 in Joliet, IL Page 5

6 Remembering our past, building our future The Immanuel Herald A Publication of IMMANUEL IMMANUEL CHURCH: SERVICE TO GOD S PEOPLE SINCE 1883 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 9815 S. Campbell Avenue FIRST CLASS MAIL Evergreen Park, IL Phone: Fax: Visit our website: immanueluccep.org immanuel_uccep@att.net Help us save paper and postage and receive The Herald via . Please send your request to Immanuel_uccep@att.net Page 6 January & February 2018