Messiah Project FAITH. Advent Wreath Making & Dinner CONNECTIONS. In this issue... Sunday, November 25 5:30 PM, Fellowship Hall

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1 FAITH CONNECTIONS A monthly publication of the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest 700 N. Sheridan Road Lake Forest, IL FirstChurchLF.org VOLUME XVIII, NO. 10 NOVEMBER 2018 Advent Wreath Making & Dinner Sunday, November 25 5:30 PM, Fellowship Hall God s Invitation to Prepare See page 7! Monday, December 3, 7:00 PM Fellowship Hall RSVP: firstchurchlf.org/christmastea First Pres welcomes our new Business Operations Manager, Jan McNicholas! Details on page 12. First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest Messiah Project Details on page 4! Support the Work Trippers by buying shares for Bowl-a-Thon! Details on page 6. 6:30 PM, Chapel Every Third Thursday of the Month In this issue... From the Interim Pastor s Study Advent Schedule Sunday Evening Service All-Church Stay-Treat Photos Done in 60 Minutes: Church History Bowl-a-Thon Giving Tree, Christmas Pageant Preschool Tot Rockers, Fall Fundraiser Update from our Prayer Partner Church Commitment Sunday Featured Mission Partner: Career Resource Center Big Brew 18 Mission Holiday Outreach Interior Renewal Update Session Highlights

2 WE WORSHIP Sunday, November 4 9 & 11 AM Rev. Bill Ingersoll Preaching Sunday, November 11 9 & 11 AM Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick Preaching Thursday, November 14 3 rd Thursday Taizé Service 6:30 PM Sunday, November 18 9 & 11 AM Rev. Bill Ingersoll Preaching Sunday, November 22 Thanksgiving Day, 10 AM at St. James Lutheran Church Rev. Bill Ingersoll Preaching Sunday, November 25 9 & 11 AM Pastor Sean Kelly Preaching FAITH CONNECTIONS is published monthly for members & friends of First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest 700 N. Sheridan Road Lake Forest, IL Submission due date is the 15 th of every month. Church Office: Mon Fri, 9 AM 5 PM From the Interim Pastor s Study Someone with whom I am beginning to work closely asked to write this month s Interim Pastor s Study article for me. What follows is that article. HELLO THERE! I am the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest s Budget. Through me baptisms, marriages, funerals, and worship services are done in the name of Jesus Christ; our children, youth, and adults are formed and nurtured in the Christian faith; glorious music sounds praises to God; our people receive the pastoral care they need; our buildings are heated, cooled, cleaned, and insured; human needs are met in this area and in lands across the oceans; the wider church of Christ is strengthened for the many ministries that God has established to reach out to other people. I have no false modesty or apology. Through me the truth gets told, and people are emboldened to grow and to open themselves to God s leading. Through me the sick, weary, troubled, bereaved, oppressed, and discouraged find strength, hope, and wholeness. Through me FPCLF s Pastor Nominating Committee is being assisted in their search and the new Pastor/Head of Staff who will be called by this congregation will be supported. Through me the good news of Jesus Christ is proclaimed in words and deeds within this community and around the world. Yes, I am your Budget. Many of the exciting, life-giving things happening in and through the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest could not happen without me. Therefore, I want those of you who have supported me this year and are planning to support me next year to know how grateful I am. Thank you! I am requesting those of you who have not yet supported me this year or have not planned to support me next year prayerfully to consider doing so. Please do so in a spirit of gratitude, remembering all that God has given you. I believe God has great plans for the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, but I need your prayers and your financial support to help make these plans a reality. Faithfully yours, The Budget 2

3 Worship & Music 2018 God s Invitation to Prepare SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 25 5:30 PM Wreath Making & Dinner MONDAY, DECEMBER 3 7:00 PM Women s Christmas Tea SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9 9:00 AM Christmas Pageant 11:00 AM Regular Worship Service SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16 9:00 & 11:00 AM Regular Worship Services THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20 6:30 PM Longest Night Worship SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23 9:00 & 11:00 AM worship with Messiah Performance MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, CHRISTMAS EVE Church Office Closes at 12:00 PM 3:00 PM Candlelight Service 5:00 PM Candlelight Service with Children s Choirs 9:00 PM Candlelight Service with Sanctuary Choir TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, CHRISTMAS DAY Church Closed SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30 10:00 AM Hymn Sing MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, Church Office Closes at 12:00 PM MONDAY, JANUARY 1, NEW YEAR S DAY Church Closed Since only a few years after its first performance in 1742, Messiah has been unmatched in its popularity and prominence among choral works. Although nearly all choral singers have sung parts of Messiah, very few have sung the piece in its entirety and fewer still have done so in its liturgical context. Over the calendar year from December 2018 through November 2019, the Festival Choir and Orchestra will divide this masterpiece into four parts in order to place each into its appropriate liturgical season and context. In addition to the musical presentation, there will be educational opportunities associated with each of these events. Our Adult Faith Formation committee will present classes taught by Steven Hall of the University of Chicago, and Dr. Tom Tropp, Director of Music and Arts at First Presbyterian, in the week preceding each musical event. The first musical presentation will be Sunday, December 23 at 9:00 and 11:00 AM, and the Faith Formation classes will be on Sundays, December 9, 16 and 23 at 10:10 AM. If you are interested and would like more details, and to see a schedule of rehearsals, please go to firstchurchlf.org/messiahproject. It will be exciting to see the Holy Spirit at work through these performances. For questions or if you would like to be added to our participants list, please contact Tom Tropp, or ttropp@firstchurchlf.org. 3

4 Worship & Music New Year, New Evening Worship Service At the October Session meeting, Worship and Music announced that an evening service will begin on Sunday, February 10, with once-a-month services on March 3, April 7, and May 5. This service will feature global, contemporary, and/or reimagined-traditional music with communion, a less formal feel, integrated screens, and creative worship elements. The exact time and location within the church have not yet been determined, but don t fear: dinner will be served! Interested people should contact Pastor Chip Hardwick at chardwick@firstchurchlf.org. Would you like to be a better hymn singer? Do you love to sing but are unable to make the commitment to sing in the Sanctuary Choir? Would you like to join the choir but need to improve your music reading skills? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there is a new opportunity at First Pres just for you. Presenting the First Presbyterian Church Hymn Singers This new group meets on Thursdays, 6:00 6:45 PM. It is designed for any singers who wish to improve their singing skills, learn about hymnody, or simply enjoy fellowship with other church members who love to sing hymns. Learn to read music and sing hymns in harmony, use your voice safely and properly, and learn the historical context and process of choosing hymns. No performances or ongoing commitment come once, come when you choose, or come every week! The purpose of this ensemble is twofold: to provide a lower commitment choral offering for busy singers, and to offer instruction and training to less experienced or tentative singers. On the first Thursday of each month, participants are encouraged to join the Sanctuary Choir monthly fellowship at 7:00 PM. On the third Thursday of each month, the Hymn Choir will dismiss at 6:30 PM to allow participation in the Third Thursday Taizé services. Questions? Contact Tom Tropp at ttropp@firstchurchlf.org. Join our Music Ministry Tour to the Netherlands! First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest s Music Ministry has a tradition of touring dating back to 1979, and our next trip is one not to be missed! From June 14 through 23, 2019, we will be making a music pilgrimage to the Netherlands. Interested? For a draft itinerary and details, please see firstchurchlf.org/music-worship-tour-2019 or contact Tom Tropp ( or ttropp@firstchurchlf.org). As with all of our music tours, participation in our musical ensembles is by no means a requirement. We love including anyone who would enjoy the traveling, and experiencing and sharing God s love together. 4

5 All-Church Stay-Treat 2018 As you enjoy the photos of the All-Church Stay-Treat, we want to shout out our thanks to several members of the Faith Formation Teams who made this event possible: Teri Albus Julie Bloom Meredith, Eric, Jack, Grace, and James Clawson Kimberly Carris Cynthia Hessemer Nancy Johnson Susan Peet Nina Strnad Anne Warnke Amy Wells Cat Rodriguez & Michael Valdez It was great from start to finish. God s presence surrounded us as we gathered for fellowship around the bonfire, while learning together in the workshops, in our worshipping, and in the fun and fellowship of Pumpkin Fest! Sarah, Sean, Kristie, and Chip All-Church Stay-treat October 12 14, Paying Attention bonfire + worship + fellowship Theologian-in-Residence + pumpkin fest 5

6 Faith Formation Done in 60 Minutes: Church History Sunday, November 4 More than 50 folks attended the first Done in 60 Minutes, when Pastor Chip gave an overview of the whole Bible in 59 minutes and 55 seconds! The second session will go from JC to FPC that is, will take you from Jesus Christ to the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest. Twenty centuries in sixty minutes? They ll go flying by, but you ll get an overview that will be hard to replicate anywhere else. There will be two identical sessions taught by Pastor Chip in the chapel on Sunday, November 4, from 10:10 to 11:10 AM and from 12:10 to 1:10 PM (the latter includes a light lunch). You do not need to register. A follow-up Book Club will be on the short book Church History: Those Who Shaped the Faith by Gary Neal Hansen ($5 at the session or from Donna Birney in the church office) to be held on Monday, November 26 from 1:00 2:30 PM or Tuesday, November 27, 7:00 8:30 PM. Save these 2019 dates: January 27: How the Bible Became the Bible, and March 3: Christian Theology Questions? Contact Pastor Chip at chardwick@firstchurchlf.org or Bowl-a-Thon Sunday, November 11, 7:00 9:00 PM This year we are trying something new! As we build excitement for our great Work Trip Ministry, and create opportunities to gather together throughout the year, we are going to have our Bowl-A-Thon this Fall on Sunday, November 11 in Brunswick Zone, Vernon Hills! We are still selling shares to support Work Trip before & after Worship every Sunday through November 11. Thank you in advance for your support! Beginning Sunday, November 18, you and your family are invited to participate in the simple yet powerful way to reach out to others of all ages this holiday season. The Giving Tree holds names and wishes from those in the Casa Central (Chicago) programs. Casa Central houses a network of services in an effort to propel a diverse population of all ages toward self-sufficiency and a higher quality of life. Please return unwrapped gifts with their tag by December 7 to the church. Monetary gifts are welcome and will be used to purchase gifts for any tags still on the tree. Please make your check payable to First Presbyterian Church with Giving Tree in the memo line. 6

7 Roles include: sheep (preschoolers), angel or shepherd (grade schoolers), manger characters, narrations & scripture readers Sheep, angels and shepherds no sign up necessary. Just come to the rehearsal! Manger characters, narrators & scripture readers sign up with Sarah Seccombe at or Sean Kelly at $30 for families, $20 for couples, and $10 for singles Rehearsal Saturday, December 8 9:00 10:30 AM, Sanctuary *Costume pick-up 8:30 9:00 AM or after rehearsal Breakfast with Santa Saturday, December 8 hosted by The Kiwanis 8:00 11:00 AM, Fellowship Hall Pageant Sunday, December 9 8:30 AM Check-in 9:00 AM Worship & Pageant, Sanctuary Monday, December 3 7:00 PM Fellowship Hall Sponsored by the Board of Deacons God s Invitation to Prepare RSVP: firstchurchlf.org/christmastea 7

8 Faith Formation The Preschool is Buzzing with Excitement with our new Tot Rockers Program and a Successful Fall Fundraiser! by Kristina Mills, Preschool Director By now, at this time of the year, the preschool is settling into our routines. Children are familiar with their classmates and their surroundings. Everyone is beginning to hit his or her stride, and it is a great feeling! Teachers have responded how students are engaging more with their peers, building relationships, developing more language and expanding in their play with one another. Everyone is a little more comfortable which provides enriching experiences for learning to take place. We are blessed to have the support of our families; church members and the community help us to provide a wonderful educational environment. As of October 15, the preschool is rocking with our new Tot Rockers program! This program is also open to the community. Our music teacher, Ms. Ami, has created a program for children to participate in a setting that introduces them to a variety of musical instruments, songs, rhythm and beat! See how much fun everyone is having in these photos! One of the Parent Board fundraisers for the preschool was to sell First Presbyterian Preschool t-shirts for students to wear and show school spirit! We had over 90% participation for this wonderful fundraiser. See the pictures of our students and teachers showing their school spirit! The Parent Board had our Fall Fundraiser, and we appreciate the participation not only from the preschool families but also from our First Presbyterian Church families who participated in our raffle items! We are excited for the winners of these wonderful events that were auctioned. Below is a message from our Parent Board Chair, Elyse Butler, after our fundraiser event: The Preschool held its Fall Fundraiser on Friday, October 12 at the home of Robert and Pamela Metz. This annual event is our biggest fundraiser and is a great opportunity for parents to hang out with old friends and mingle with new ones! This year included the opportunity to win some amazing raffle and silent auction packages including items from across the Northshore and experiences like a children s birthday party, city boat ride to view fireworks, professional sport tickets, and an opportunity for a home visit from Santa Claus! Thank you to everyone who supported our raffle ticket sales. We are grateful for the generosity of our donors to this event. Proceeds help the preschool raise money for capital and technology upgrades, student scholarship and teacher development, and enhancing educational opportunities for our students such as bringing travelling museum exhibits to the preschool! All these events and new programs are a blessing, and we feel God s presence with us each and every day here in the preschool. Blessings, Kristina 8

9 An Update from Our Prayer Partner Church in Fairouzeh Pastor Jacoub Sabbagh from our prayer partner church at Fairouzeh, Syria is doing well as he is recovering from a recent surgery to remove his gall bladder. Jacoub s wife, Grace, is also well and is quite busy with many church activities. Their 14 month old daughter, Celine, is growing beautifully and getting into everything around the house. Fairouzeh church continues to serve the members of the village and a large population of refugees who have settled in Fairouzeh. The recent wars in the region have contributed to the increased inflow of refugees to the village. While there are some other sources of aid, Fairouzeh church plays a key role in helping these families with food and funds for fuel, rent, and other basic necessities. In addition to welcoming the families to the church, Pastor Jacoub and church elders spend considerable time, effort, and resources distributing about 270 aid baskets on a monthly basis. Hundreds of families come to the church asking for help and Fairouzeh church places great effort in identifying families with the greatest need for receiving aid given their limited resources. Currently, Sunday school for 150 children is one of the main concerns at the church as several experienced teachers have left the community due to personal reasons. Pastor Jacoub, Grace, and the rest of the church leaders are working with the new teachers through this transition. In addition, they are working hard to start preparing for the upcoming Christmas Pageant. Pastor Jacoub shared his thoughts about the importance of a strong Sunday school program and asked for our prayers as they are going through this transition. We lift up the Fairouzeh church, its leaders and congregation, as they are faithfully serving the Christ family under very difficult circumstances. As part of our prayer partnership, the Fairouzeh church is also praying for the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest. Stewardship God invites us to a Christ-centered life and reminders of this invitation are all around us! As your Stewardship Committee, we hope you are feeling the joy and excitement of this invitation. We hope, too, that you have found time to discern how this invitation guides your decisions about your gifts to First Presbyterian Church for the coming year. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God s grace. - 1 Peter 4:10 All of the support you have shown to First Church by sharing your time, talent, and treasures is deeply appreciated. Your financial gifts, in whatever form is best for you, make it possible for us to sustain our beloved church in the many ways that matter deeply to us all: supporting our staff, ensuring meaningful worship and ministries, maintaining our building and grounds, continuing our long commitment to mission and forming disciples of Jesus Christ. Please join us on Commitment Sunday, November 11 our annual celebration of God s gifts to us and our opportunity to make gifts to First Presbyterian Church. This is always a joyful occasion for all congregants! We look forward to seeing you then! 9

10 Opportunities to Serve, Connect and Learn Please join us in our Bible Studies! Brown Bag Bible Study: Tuesdays at 11:45 AM, Parish House Conference Room Gretchen Seymour, Adult Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1:30 PM Parish House Conference Room Cynthia Hessemer, Wednesday Women s Bible Study: Wednesdays at 9:45 AM, Parlor Rita Fossell, ritafossell@sbcglobal.net Julian Women: 2 nd and 4 th Wednesdays of the month at 11:15 AM, Parish House Library Rita Fossell, ritafossell@sbcglobal.net Men s Bible Study & Prayer Group: Fridays at 7:00 AM, Parlor Peter Keller, pjkeller@concentric.net Men s Discussion Group: Every other Sunday at 9:30 AM, Parish House Library David Cain, mdavidcain@gmail.com Usher Ministry Needs You! Do you enjoy welcoming friends and newcomers to Church? Want to spread positivity to others on Sundays? Looking to be more involved at First Pres, but only have time for an occasional commitment? Usher for a month of Sundays, a few Sundays a year, or whenever your schedule permits. 9 or 11 AM service your choice. To sign up or learn more, contact Donna Birney at dbirney@firstchurchlf.org or call We need Sunday School volunteers! Go deeper with your faith, while planting and nurturing the seeds of faith in our younger people! We are building our roster of Preschool 4 th Grade faith-building teachers and guides for the coming program year. Interested? Need more information? Contact Sarah Seccombe, Director of Children s Faith Formation at sseccombe@firstchurchlf.org. Children s Choirs are Here! We invite all children age 4 through 8 th grade to join our Children s Choirs! We sing once a month in worship and on Christmas Eve, and we will present our annual musical on February 24. Cherub Choir: age 4 Kindergarten, Tue. 3:45 4:15 PM. Carol Choir: Grades 1 4, Tue. 4:15 5:00 PM Children s Chime Choir: Grades 3 8, Tue. 5:00 5:30 PM Middle School Choir: Grades 5 8, Sun. 10:15 10:45 AM Contact Susan Noble, Director of Children s Choirs, for more information: snoble@firstchurchlf.org PADS (Providing Advocacy, Dignity & Shelter) Wednesday, November 14 First Pres provides food and volunteers to PADS in North Point Church, Waukegan on the 2 nd and 5 th Wednesday of the month. Join us on Wednesday, November 14! We are in need of volunteers and food. To sign up to serve, please go to firstchurchlf.org/ serve-at-pads and to sign up to donate food, please go to firstchurchlf.org/donate-food-for-pads. We are grateful to all of you for living out your faith through generous donations of time and food, which are so desperately needed. 10

11 Mission Corner November Featured Mission Partner: Career Resource Center The Career Resource Center (CRC) is another agency that was founded right here at First Pres. It began in the late 1980s as a temporary measure to provide employment assistance to white collar workers during a recession, but it soon became apparent this type of service was needed on an ongoing basis. The CRC was established as an independent nonprofit in Since its inception, the CRC has provided job search assistance for more than 13,000 individuals, primarily from Lake, DuPage and northern Cook counties. CRC offers individualized coaching services by industry professionals and an ongoing menu of programs and workshops at a minimum cost to participants. The success rate of those who participate in the program averages almost 80 percent. The success of CRC s model is based on their volunteer Advisors who provide the coaching. CRC recruits top notch, highly-experienced executives, and professionals who are committed to helping those in job transition. Many have served in significant management positions with Fortune 500 companies, mid- and small-sized companies, career management organizations, and executive search firms. First Pres s Mission Committee has been an ongoing supporter of the CRC with annual financial grants. First Pres member Sue Dye is a long time member of CRC s Board of Directors. For more information or to volunteer, visit or contact Executive Director Kristina Phillips at kristinaphillips@careerresourcecenter.org or call Mission Holiday Outreach Mission Holiday Outreach Saturday, November 3 With the upcoming holiday season, the Mission Committee has chosen two of our partner agencies to provide goods to support their mission on Saturday, November 3. For those who cannot visit the agencies with us that day, you can still support Lake County Haven and A Safe Place by making a financial contribution to help us purchase supplies. If you would like to make a contribution, please contact Stewart Kerr at skerr@firstchurchlf.org. 11

12 Please Welcome our New Business Operations Manager! First Presbyterian is pleased to welcome Jan McNicholas as the new Business Operations Manager effective Monday, November 5! Jan comes to First Presbyterian Church with over 25 years of experience in office administration and operations management. More information about Jan will be available on the church website in the near future. She looks forward to meeting and working alongside the staff and congregation in the days ahead. Please come by and introduce yourself! We are grateful that she will be working with our current Business Operations Manager, John Johnson, prior to his retirement at the end of November. Mission Corner (cont d) Big Brew 18 by Military Outreach USA Sunday, November 4 The Military Caring Ministry is sponsoring BIG BREW 18 on Sunday, November 4 in recognition of Veterans Day (November 11). You can sign up to give $5 for each cup of coffee you drink that day. The funds raised will be donated to support Military Outreach USA, a national not for profit which serves veterans exiting homelessness. Each cup of coffee means more support for our veterans and their families, so please save the date and join us on November 4! For any questions, please contact the Military Caring Ministry at veterans@firstchurchlf.org. Coffee with a cause! Meal-a-Month: PADS (Providing Advocacy, Dignity & Shelter) PADS Lake County offers an approach to combating homelessness with the compassion and respect we all deserve. PADS is the first point of contact and the only emergency shelter for the homeless in Lake County. First Pres serves at the Winthrop Harbor men s shelter on the 2 nd /5 th Wednesday from October through April. We provide dinner, shelter, breakfast the following morning, and a bag lunch to go. We are in need of the following items for the lunches: Juice boxes, granola bars, trail mix, small snack packs such as pretzels, nuts, etc. Please drop off items by Monday, November 19. Thank you for your generosity! From First Presbyterian Church of Kenosha On behalf of our pastor, Lance Loveall, and our congregation, we thank your church for the donations this summer from your rummage sale merchandise which you have been collecting and sorting. Your items helped us to have another successful rummage sale, proceeds of which go to our mission fund. While filling my mini-van once or twice a week, I had the privilege of meeting your members who ever volunteering their time and effort to receive and sort your donations. The work you do to collect and sort is a massive and impressive enterprise. Your volunteer group is special to my church. First Presbyterian Church of Kenosha is the next PCUSA member north of Lake Forest, 24 miles up Sheridan Road. Your merchandise donations help us to do the work of the Gospel in the Kenosha community. Charles Leicht, First Presbyterian Church of Kenosha 12

13 Interior Renewal Update by Nancy Thomson Sometimes a great notion. Dare greatly. Hear God calling in the night. This is how I see what we are doing now at FPCLF through the Interior Renewal Project, as we call the renovation of the current choir room and kitchen, the updating of South Parlor and the creation of a new choir room downstairs. A great notion create a warm and welcoming gathering space that is easily accessed as you enter the church or exit the sanctuary. Dare greatly - think that we can buck the tide of diminishing church attendance, and that we are not languishing during an interim period but that we are envisioning a bright and positive future. Hear God calling in the night - God is calling us to connect to each other, inviting us to a Christ-centered life. By hearing God s call to move us forward, we are making a visible statement that we are alive and well. Dave Tolmie heard this call and wondered if others did too. He reached out to some First Church families for anchor money for this project. These generous donors dared so greatly that we have raised $1.4 Million towards the project. We are fortunate that we will not use any existing church funds for it, but we still need your help and we will be asking for your support in the near future. We are well on the path towards starting construction but specifically where are we? We have had structural engineering studies and have completed some repairs. Permits for construction have been submitted to the city and are expected to be approved in mid-november. We are still on schedule to begin construction on January 2nd or 3rd with a completion date of Easter The interior design team has spent innumerable hours looking at and deciding on carpeting, sofas, tables, chairs, lamps, etc. Appliances have been ordered for the new kitchen. Our motto has been style with grace as we design and decorate a family-friendly space where our choir room now stands, and in updating South Parlor which will be remain a little more formal to accommodate our more serious occasions. And what of the new choir room? Again... plans, permits, lighting, acoustic ceiling, new storage areas and a wall divider have been carefully detailed and designed. The good news about the choir room is that each step can be accomplished independent of the other steps, and the choir can start practicing there in January in a special space created just for them. Lastly, you may have seen that we need a name for the new space and are thus in the middle of a Name Game. I invite you to submit your suggestions for the name of this new space. All top suggestions will be voted on by the congregation. Hurry - the Name Game closes on November 4! Let s embrace this great notion, let s dare greatly, and let s hear God s call. We are moving forward, showing confidence in our church and in God s invitation to connect and to lead a Christ-centered life. Nancy Thomson and the Interior Renewal Task Force: Dave Tolmie, Jan Gibson, Roger Burgis, Jim Mynhier, Bob Price, John Johnson, Chip Hardwick and Tom Tropp 13

14 Session Highlights from the September 17 meeting by Mary Watanabe, Clerk of Session Pastor Bill Ingersoll opened the meeting. Dewey Winebrenner offered a prayer of discipleship and commitment. Pastor Bill thanked session for allowing him time with family. The PNC has met weekly for about six months. They are poring over about 35 PIFs (Pastor Information Form) and writing phone interview questions. They are also following up on personally recommended candidates, who are not actively seeking new employment but might be a good match for FPCLF. The PNC asks for prayers. Carl Traynor visited session to encourage elders to show their spiritual leadership by becoming a lay liturgist. Coaching is offered. Roger Burgis and John Johnson presented a history of the manse, purchased in As housing is a concern for our new pastor(s), Roger wanted to update session. The current tenant vacates in July Martha Zeeman said that this season s first PADS (Providing Advocacy, Dignity and Shelter) evening was a success, especially since she was able to link up a PADS client, who was a former culinary worker, with the Cooking School that provides the food for PADS. Deacons will be starting a Caregivers Support Ministry on November 1, to meet the first and third Thursdays. Deacons have invited other churches to participate. First Floor Renewal Project is moving forward on two fronts: the Choir Room move and the main floor construction. City permits are on schedule. The congregation will be encouraged to contribute. Worship and Music announced that an evening service will begin on February 10, with once-a-month services on March 3, April 7, and May 5. Held in a family-friendly location in the church, it will include a screen for graphics. Dinner will be served. Interested people should contact Pastor Chip Hardwick. For Faith Formation, Pastor Sean Kelly asked elders and deacons, as ordained spiritual leaders, to join staff in writing a daily devotions booklet for the entire church to use during the 2018 Advent season. Finance expects this year s shortfall will be about $55,000, or 1.8%. Budgeting for 2019 will begin in November and be finalized in January. The Long Range Planning and Governance distributed document templates on which to describe the duties of each ministry in the church. This updated information will go into our church manual and for our new pastor(s). Six people have attended the new members meetings. Bill called a special session meeting for October 28 to receive new members. Personnel will be offering the position of Business Operations Manager to a candidate soon. (See announcement about Jan McNicholas on page 12) What not to miss callouts: Hymn Singers meets on Thursdays. See letters of gratitude in our packet from our rummage partners. Volunteers will be delivering necessities to The Haven and A Safe Place on November 3; video of the deliveries will be shared to promote more volunteering. ACNC is seeking four new deacons; use the nomination form. Praise for Stay-Treat weekend and retreat leader Rev. Dr. Christy Lang Hearlson. We welcome your questions and comments! Please contact us via phone or , or come see us after worship. We ll be wearing our blue name tags. The next Session meeting is on Monday, November 19 at 7:00 PM. If you would like to come, please let Mary Watanabe (Clerk) know by Thursday, November 15. If you wish to speak on a matter, please inform her to allow time on the agenda. You can Mary Watanabe at marytammeuswatanabe@gmail.com. You can also call the church office at

15 Deacons Martha Zeeman, Moderator Bill Allen Paul Bergmann Dorothy Chantler Kim Clair Scott Crawford Susan Daly Wendy Darling Stephanie Elliott Pat Ensing Dan Fietsam Peg Gronau Nancy Hamming Hildo Hoogcarspel Beth Jones Marcy Kerr John McNicholas Susan Milanak Molly Newman John Noble Sherry Trenchard Patti Tucker Gale Strenger Wayne Carson Ward Shawn Ward Tina Young Elders Mary Watanabe, Clerk of Session Rita Fossell, Assistant Clerk of Session Mike Adams Membership, Finance: Endowment Jim Bertram Adult FF Renee Borkowski LRPG Matt Brown Finance: Budget, Stewardship Missy Burger Mission: Rummage Roger Burgis Finance Ed Hamming Buildings & Grounds, Worship & Music Bruce Keith ACNC, Personnel Jim Kingsley Youth & Young Adult FF Geoffrey Luce Mission Roberta Miller LRPG, POCC Geoff Murray Stewardship Susanna Noble Worship & Music Scott Notz Buildings & Grounds Barbara Schulz Personnel, Mission: Evangelism, PNC Jim Seymour Personnel Nancy Thomson LRPG Marty Vander Velde Children FF Mary Watanabe Worship & Music Amy Wells Children FF Dewey Winebrenner Youth & Young Adult FF ACNC - All Church Nominating Committee FF - Faith Formation LRPG - Long Range Planning & Governance POCC - Presbytery of Chicago Commissioner Pastor Nominating Committee Donna Coffin T.S. Elliott Bill Ensing, Co-Chair John Gescheidle Cindy Johnson Diane Quinn, Co-Chair Barbara Schulz David Strong Martha Zeeman 15

16 Advent Wreath Making & Dinner Sunday, November 25, 5:30 PM Fellowship Hall firstchurchlf.org/adventwreathdinner 700 North Sheridan Road Lake Forest, Illinois FirstChurchLF.org Join Us for Sunday Worship 9 & 11 am followed by Fellowship