COMMUNITY NEWS. Please see page 7 for an order form or pick one up in the church parlor or office.

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1 Morton Grove Community Church N. A u s t i n M o r t o n G r o v e, I L ( ) w w w. m g c c p r e s b y t e r i a n. o r g COMMUNITY NEWS July 2012 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Memorial Bricks 1 Pastor s Message 2 Choir Director Note 3 Session Highlights 4 Missions 5 Brick Order Form 6 Five Wishes Info. 7-8 Book Club 9 Upcoming Events 10 Tidbits 11 Calendar A personalized brick inscribed with your name or the name of someone you wish to honor, or a brick to celebrate a special occasion such as a baptism, confirmation or wedding may be placed in the Memory Garden at Morton Grove Community Church. The bricks are 4 x 8. Their cost of $50 each is tax deductible. Payment is by check only, with the check stapled to the order form. Morton Grove Community Church reserves the right to modify or refuse any content deemed inappropriate. Correct spelling is the responsibility of the individual purchasing the brick. Please see page 7 for an order form or pick one up in the church parlor or office.

2 Page 2 Dear Friends, On June 24 th, we started a study of the beatitudes in worship. The most well-known version of the beatitudes is found in Matthew 5: 3-12, at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. In the gospel of Luke, similar teachings of Jesus are found in Luke 6: But in Luke, Jesus describes not only those people who are considered blessed because of certain qualities, but also declares the negative consequences, or woes, that will be experienced by people who display opposite traits. The gospel of Matthew lists nine beatitudes. So, our study of the beatitudes in worship will consist of nine Sundays and take us through the summer. The beatitudes were the topic of the Presbyterian Women s Bible study this year. Our own Women s Circle 2 recommended the beatitudes to me as a summer worship series. The Presbyterian Women s study includes nine skits, each one focusing on one beatitude. Worship Team chair Judy Donovan is organizing the dramatic readings of these skits in our worship services this summer. Thank you, Judy, and all those who are participating in presenting these to our congregation! As we found with the dramatic reading that was part of our Maundy Thursday worship this year, these skits encourage us to think about the beatitudes from the viewpoint of different people, bringing them to life and helping us to perceive how relevant they are, even today. In September, at the completion of our beatitudes study, the Adult Christian Education Team will be leading three sessions where we will enter into dialogue about the beatitudes. Topics that we may discuss include the implications of the beatitudes that the skits or sermons emphasized, how our understanding and interpretation of the beatitudes may have changed or expanded, how the beatitudes are presented differently in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the relevance of the beatitudes for our own lives. Blessed are those who come to a deeper understanding of the beatitudes through our summer worship and later group discussions! Through God s word being proclaimed in a variety of ways, we will be enriched, drawn closer to one another and to God, and given guidance, comfort, and hope. I look forward to seeing you in worship this summer! In Christ s love, Pastor Lolly

3 Greetings from the Morton Grove Community Church Music Department! I hope that all of you are surviving the heat! This past June, we have heard some lovely music from our guest musicians! I hope you enjoyed them all! This July, we will have some great guest musicians as well. Joyce Sienkowski will be playing the piano in early July, and on July 15 th, the Hoovers will be playing all of the music for the service. Rumor has it that Margaret will be bringing back her Musical Saw! As always, if you are interested in joining the choir, please do so! We are always looking for new voices, especially tenors and basses! We are also looking for any instrumentalists who want to participate in the service, whether it is playing with the choir, or being a soloist. Please contact Rev. Lolly Dominski or I if you want to help out in any way with the music program here at Morton Grove Community Church. Thank you and have a great 4 th of July! Bryan Page 3

4 Bibles were circulated, and elders were requested to look for favorite verses in the New Testament for engraving on the band of accent bricks on the wall in the memory garden. The concrete work will start next week and brick work soon thereafter. Engraving will take several weeks. Bricks will be engraved as needed. Session approved using Psalm 107:1, as first choice, and Romans 12:12, as second choice, if there is space for a second verse. Page 4 The minutes of the April 18 and May 6, 2012 Meetings of Session and the April 29 Meeting of the Congregation were approved. Barb Genge reported for the Washroom Taskforce and requested Session approval to pay Apex Kitchen & Bath the incremental change order invoice of $2,850, for copper pipe work, electrical work and windowsill fabrication and installation, that had not been approved prior to being done. Session approved payment upon completion of work. A 5-year guarantee in writing was also requested. Barb Genge reported for the Washroom Taskforce and requested Session approval to hire Pro Painters to paint the ceiling, walls and metal doorframes of the men s and women s washrooms; to condition, stain and varnish the washroom doors and thresholds, and to patch and paint where the control for the former sanctuary ceiling fans was removed, at a cost of $1,100. Of this $1,100 estimate, $250 is to be charged to the lighting improvement budget. Session approved the request. Rev. Dominski presented a request from the Property Management Team to approve re-paving the driveway at a cost to MGCC of $4,625. Of the total $6,500 cost, CBB will pay $1,875, representing half of the cost of re-paving the driveway from the gate to the playground. The cost of this project has increased, reflecting the need to lay 3 of asphalt (rather than 2 ) due to its use by waste removal trucks. Session approved the request, pending final approval from Barbara Gotter of CBB. The Treasurer s Report was not available. Session approved granting permission to the Chicago Somang Church to hold a garage sale in our parking lot. A permit may be required from the Village. MGCC requests a copy of the permit and to be informed of the date of the sale at least two weeks in advance. Rev. Dominski reported that CBB is requesting to use the south side of the parking lot, with cone boundaries, for supervised play for children older than five years of age, given that their grassy play area is reduced with the installation of the memory garden. Session has previously declined to grant the request because of the liability issue. CBB meets the DCFS standards for play area already, but they would like more area. After much discussion by Session, Rev. Dominski requested an elder to accompany her to a meeting with Barbara Gotter of CBB to further discuss the issue. Tim Honaker volunteered to accompany the pastor. Rev. Dominski reported that CBB requested to potentially move their playground fence closer to the shed. Session granted the request. Rev. Dominski reported that CBB requested the large boulders along the driveway be moved. Deanna Montgomery will be asked if the ASP group can do that at the next car wash. Rev. Dominski reported that CBB requested to use the entire lower east hall from 6:00 P.M - 9:00 P.M. on June 1 to celebrate graduation. Session granted the request. Barb Genge gave an update on the washroom remodeling. Waste receptacles are still needed. Lighting improvement update the lighting in the sanctuary is finished and in use. The air conditioning and fans were used last Sunday. The lighting project in the church is completely finished. Rev. Dominski reported that the concrete work in the memory garden will begin next week, and that garden installation will continue through the end of June. Wendy Ottosen reported on a meeting with the Finance Team. There will be a limit on the choice of graphics on the bricks. Engraving on the bricks will take three weeks. They may be ordered this summer. Benches can be ordered soon. There is a need for security in their installation, for instance, being fastened down to prevent stealing. A small plaque of uniform size will be used on each bench to identify the donor and/or person honored. Session discussed the memory garden dedication and suggested we may want to do that before the bricks are installed. No decision was reached on the dedication. Tim Honaker reported for the Investment Team. They have consulted with our advisor. A 4% return with a slight risk was requested. Our Parish Nurse, Barb Genge will present a Five Wishes program regarding end-of-life decisions on Sunday, June 24 during Fellowship time in the parlor. She will use a DVD in the program. The film, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler will be shown on Sunday, June 3 at 6:30 P.M. in the church parlor. A tour of the Holocaust Museum in Skokie is scheduled for June 8 or 9. A discussion on the movie and tour will be held on Sunday, June 10 at 11:30 A.M. in Jubilee Hall. The Blessing of the Animals will be held on Sunday, June 10 from 2:30 to 3:30 in the afternoon. Bryan McGookey will try to secure a guitarist. Church on the Lawn will be held on August 12 or 19. The Lonesome Theologians will be asked to perform. Permaseal will be returning to address the leak free of charge, as per their lifetime guarantee. Elder Bruce Tuttle died on April 26, Holy Communion was celebrated on May 6, Rev. Dominski reported that she has been elected to a two-year term as President of the Academy of Parish Clergy. Rev. Dominski reported that she has agreed with her advisor at Garrett Seminary to take a year off from her PhD work. The Nominating Team has begun its search for two elders for the class of 2014.

5 We have received a very informative DVD from Soles4Souls and plan to show it during worship on Sunday, July 22nd. We will then follow-up with a shoe drive on the following Sunday, July 29th. So as you are checking out your closet for summer items, set aside any gently-used shoes that you are not using and bring them to church on that Sunday - July 29th. To date, we have delivered 807 pairs of shoes and as you will see from the DVD, they are all appreciated and used. MISSION SUNDAY - October 28, Jeff and Christi Boyd have sent us information about their family as we look forward to becoming Mission Partners. They have three children, Matthias, Salome and Naomi. The children will not be with us on Oct. 28th, but we look forward to having pictures of the family soon. The Mission Team voted to support Jeff and Christi in their mission work for three years in the amount of $2000 a year. Our grocery carts to collect food for Niles Pantry are awaiting donations. If we each of us brought just one can of vegetables or a box of cereal, the carts would fill up quickly. Please put that item on your grocery list so you won' t forget. Nancy Lanning, Ted and Judy Lucas, and Bob and Mary Jo Tranter take monthly turns picking up the day-old bread at Panera Bread Restaurant. The bread and whatever food items that have been donated are taken to the Niles Pantry every Tuesday morning. In our projected budget for 2012, we included an amount for Shore, homes for developmentaly disabled youth and adults. Their greatest need at this time is for washers and dryers for the residents' homes. A check is being sent to them for this purpose in the amount of $3,000. Our hot chocolate/lemonade stand ended for the summer. They often served 50 to 60 children and adults. We had many volunteers but Elaine Matsushige and Pat Mathis were the mainstays. We sent $ to Presbyterian World Mission for their work in the Sudan crises. Page 5

6 ENGRAVING EXAMPLE Page 6 Print clearly, in plain block letters one letter per square. Spaces and punctuation count as a letter. You do not need to use all the spaces or lines on a brick. Each line will be automatically centered, unless you specify otherwise. Attach a separate Text To Be Engraved sheet for each brick. If an icon is requested, please circle your choice on the insert and attach it to your order form. Please note, the icon takes up 3 spaces on 2 lines, so allowance must be made in the text. FONT 4 x 8 - $50 (13 spaces / 3 lines) ALL CAPS OR (18 spaces / 3 lines) Caps and Lower Case TEXT TO BE ENGRAVED Morton Grove Community Church Commemorative Brick Order form Name: Address: Phone: Address: Memory Bricks 4 x $50 Each = $ TOTAL DUE: $ Please staple the check to the order form. Include one order form for each brick ordered. Also, please staple to each order form an icon sheet, if appropriate. Number of Bricks Ordered: Total Amount: $ Check # Signed: Date:

7 Frequently Asked Question Regarding - The Five Wishes Why should I fill out Five Wishes? Without an advance directive like Five Wishes, you may have no control over important medical care decisions that will be made if you ever get seriously ill such as whether to give you lifesupport treatment or aggressively treat your pain. You may think that your loved ones and doctors will automatically know what you want when you are very ill, but too often that is not the case. Put it in writing and be sure. Keep in mind also that completing Five Wishes is a gift to your loved ones so they are not left to guess what you would have wanted. What makes Five Wishes different from other advance directives and living wills? Five Wishes is the only advance directive/living will that speaks to all a person s concerns, not just the medical and legal ones. Matters of comfort, dignity, pain management, personal and spiritual issues, family reconciliation and memorial matters are all addressed. It s also easy to use and understand. It meets the legal requirements and has been called the closest thing available to a national advance directive. Page 7 When do I need to use Five Wishes? If you are over age 18, you should complete Five Wishes now. If you are married, you and your spouse each need to fill out your own Five Wishes. Even if you are young or in good health, you never know when an accident or sudden illness can impair your ability to communicate your wishes. When does Five Wishes take effect? Five Wishes only takes effect when you are too ill to communicate your wishes directly. Is Five Wishes a legal document? Yes. It was written with the help of the American Bar Association s Commission on Law & Aging. It is legally valid under the advance directive statutes in most states. Just follow the directions when you sign it. What if I don t live in a Five Wishes state? Follow the law that applies in your state. Many people complete their Five Wishes and then attach it to the forms some states require. Continued on Next Page

8 Simply follow the directions on the signature page and you ll be okay. Continued from Page 7 Does filling out Five Wishes guaranteethat my wishes will be followed? Your doctor is required to follow your wishes according to the laws of your state. Each state has its own rules and conditions that a doctor must observe, and so your doctor has the final word on when your living will takes effect. Discuss your wishes with your doctor after giving him a copy of your Five Wishes for the medical record. It s wise to pick a health care agent you trust and who will stand up for you. What if I fill out Five Wishes and later change my mind? When you make changes, be sure to inform your health care agent, family, friends and doctor. Destroy all out-of-date copies of the document and distribute copies of your new Five Wishes. Many review their Five Wishes annually and make any changes then. Do I have to have my Five Wishes notarized? Not unless you live in one of the few states that is listed in the notarization section of Five Wishes. Will my Five Wishes be honored wherever I go? If you travel a lot, take a copy of you Five Wishes with you in case you become seriously ill. Your document will be legally valid in the state of Illinois, and any of the states listed on page 3 of Five Wishes. Federal and most state laws are designed to honor your wishes no matter how you express them. May I copy Five Wishes? If you wish to copy the blank document and then fill it out, no. If you wish to copy your completed, signed and witnessed Five Wishes, yes. Five Wishes is protected by copyright (see notice on the back cover). It is a violation of U.S. law to make a copy of the blank original. Also, health care providers may ask to see the original, signed and witnessed document, particularly if a question arises about whether the document has been changed or altered from the original. Health care providers often want to make their copy from your original and then place it into your medical file. Page 8

9 2012 MGCC BOOK CLUB SCHEDULE Date Title Author July 17 (7:30 pm) (at Joyce Sienkowski s) Mudbound Hilary Jordan August 21 (7:30 pm) (at Joyce Sienkowski s) A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry Sept. 18 (7:30 pm) (Church Parlor) October 16 (10:30 am) (Church Parlor) A Fine Balance Note: this is a large book so first part will be discussed in August. In the Garden of Beasts Note: This book will be available in paperback beginning May 1, Erik Larson Summer book club for July will meet at Joyce Sienkowski's, 5945 Washington, Morton Grove, on Tuesday Evenings, July 17 and 21, at 7:30 pm. The July 17th selection is MUDBOUND by Hillary Jordan. Read about two families caught up in the blind hatred of a small Southern town and how prejudices can take many forms. The McAllans and the Jacksons each have a son who return from World War ll - their unlikely friendship, one black and one white, arouses the passions of their neighbors. The men and women of both families tell their stories. On August 21, the Book Club will begin the two month reading of A FINE BALANCE by Rohinton Mistry. We will cover the first half of the book in August and finish our discussion on Sept. 18 at 7:30 pm in the Church Parlor. The story, A FINE BALANCE, takes place in India. The time is 1975 and the place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency that will cause upheavals in the lives of four strangers. NO DUES - JUST GREAT CONVERSATION EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Join us whenever you can - Call Joyce Sienkowski or Mary Jo Tranter with any questions of if you need a ride. Page 9

10 Circle II Jackie Johnson 3 Tim Honaker 10 Brian Honaker 11 Jean Hoffman 14 Don Burns 16 Bob Tranter 21 Mary Jo Tranter 22 Larry Schulte 27 Lenora Hed 29 Joanne Stucka 31 July 10, Judy Lucas August 14, Joyce Sienkowski Sept. 11, Fran Springborn October 9, Barb Genge November 13, Open December 11, Judy Lucas Circle II continued the study of the Beatitudes this summer with the lesson, Greatly Honored Are Those Who Show Mercy. What is mercy? One who shows mercy feels emotion when faced with the pain of another, takes action on behalf of that person, and demonstrates ongoing dedication to that person beyond the initial crisis. We will continue in July with Greatly Honored are the Pure in Heart, meeting at Judy Lucas home. Recap of Upcoming ASP Events July 4 - Fireworks parking - more details to come. July 8 - Sunday Car wash for the congregation and fellowship treats. Page 10 Thanks to all of you for your support of the ASP Youth!

11 Page 11 While a tourist vacationed on the Florida coast, his boat capsized. Although he could swim, his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft and praying aloud. Spotting an old beachcomber on shore, the tourist shouted, Are there any gators around here? Jesus illustrated the future coming of the Son of Man and his kingdom: When the tree sprouts leaves, he said, you know that is near; when various cosmic signs take place, you ll know the Son of Man and the kingdom of God are near. Choose the correct pair of words to fill in the two blanks. A. pine; winter B. beech; spring C. fig; summer D. olive; autumn Answer: (see last page) No, the man hollered. They haven t been around for years! Relieved, the tourist began swimming leisurely toward the shore. About halfway there, he asked, How d you get rid of the gators? We didn t do anything, the beachcomber replied. The sharks got em.

12 JULY 2012 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 - Communion 11 AM Congregational Meeting 2 3 7:00 PM Property Ministries 4 OFFICE CLOSED ASP Fundraiser 9 7:30 PM Finance Team Meeting 7:00 PM ASP Fundraiser - Fireworks Parking :30 AM Hospitality 7:30 PM Communication :00 AM Mission Outreach Meeting 17 10:30 AM Book Club 18 7:00 PM Session Meeting Newsletter Articles Due :00 PM Christian Education led by ASP Mission Trip participants :00 AM Prayer Team Gathering Page 12

13 AUGUST 2012 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 10:00 AM Prayer Team Gathering :00 PM Property Ministries 8 9 7:30 PM Communication :30 pm Movie Night :30 AM Hospitality 7:00 PM Session Meeting :30 PM Finance Team Meeting 21 10:30 AM Book Club Newsletter Deadline :00 PM Christian Education Page 13

14 M O R T O N G R O V E C O M M U N I T Y C H U R C H 8944 N. Austin Avenue Morton Grove, IL COMMUNITYNEWS is published monthly by the Morton Grove Community Church 8944 Austin Avenue, Morton Grove, IL Website: mgcc@mgccpresbyterian.org Rev. Lolly Dominski Bryan McGookey, Music Director Mary Smith, Administrative Assistant Don Williams, Custodian Church Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9 am 2:30 pm Pastor s Office Hours: Monday 9am - 12:30 pm Wed & Fri 9 am - 5 pm Music Director Office Hours: Monday Wednesday 9 am 12 pm 9 am 3 pm Newsletter Deadline for August ssue: Friday, July 20, 2012 Answer: C (See Luke 21:29-31.)