EDEN OPEN: Report of the President (adapted for Echo) A SPACE TO GROW BUILDING COMMUNITY DIALOGUES. June 24 th, 2018

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August 2018 A PUBLICATION OF EDEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST EDEN OPEN: A SPACE TO GROW Eden Open Lunches, After School & Drop-In Time will be closed for July and August and resume on September 4.

1 August 2018 A PUBLICATION OF EDEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST EDEN OPEN: A SPACE TO GROW Eden Open Lunches, After School & Drop-In Time will be closed for July and August and resume on September 4. BUILDING COMMUNITY DIALOGUES August 14: Dinner & Dialogue, 6:30pm, Inequality for All Film/ Discussion (repeated from July). Visit for more info on this film about our increasing inequality and the threat it is to our American democracy. COMING THIS FALL! Watch for details on learning opportunities about healthy relationships and organizations. Additionally, topics related to economic stress and empowerment will be offered as part of our Neighbors in Need grant-funded outreach. For more information contact David Angel or Pastor Jacki. Report of the President (adapted for Echo) June 24 th, 2018 Eden Members, In March Eden took a step forward after our transitional period. We elected by unanimous vote Rev. Jacki Belile as our next Pastor. Her energy and passion for Eden is evident in all that she does. Jacki s installation ceremony on September 30 th, 2018 at 4:00PM. We continue our relationship with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Super Soccer, and the Fencing Club. The Eden Open sessions continue to gain the attention of our neighbors. We have developed a relationship with a men s basketball group that uses our gym on a regular basis. We continue our relationship with groups like Jefferson Park Forward, this year we helped with the Friends of Jefferson Park Library Sale. We were a site for the 16 th District Faith in Action, where residents could watch a Chicago Police Department Roll Call and meet with local beat officers. Our 2 nd annual Pancake breakfast was busy from start to close. We are holding another 50/50 raffle this year, with the drawing on Christmas Eve. Friday Game/Movie Nights were a hit with the community and will continue in the future. After school activities also brought in new faces and built relationships in the neighborhood. During the second half of the year we will continue to try new things. Look for an Eden BBQ on Rally Day! (The 3 F s, Food, Fellowship, and Faith seem to resonate with our members.) We will also try things like Dinner Church, which will allow access to Eden s fellowship and faith in a less formal way. We continue to have struggles with an aging building We continue to pull through these events because of the Members of Eden and the community continue to support us. Despite these setbacks we continue to hold to the budget we set at the start of Now that the transition time is complete at Eden, we can continue the plans to grow and strengthen Eden. We will use our momentum to try new things and grow Eden in the coming months and years. In Christ, Ed Thomas Council President 1

WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP AUGUST SERMON SERIES: Christ, Our Peace I invite everyone to join us in body or spirit on August Sundays for a WARM time of worship, fellowship and reflections on the Book of

2 WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP AUGUST SERMON SERIES: Christ, Our Peace I invite everyone to join us in body or spirit on August Sundays for a WARM time of worship, fellowship and reflections on the Book of Ephesians. Christ, Our Peace is the series title. Here are a couple excerpts from early in this New Testament letter which I find touching and inspiring: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. Ephesians 1:17-19 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:8-10 For the Good News, Pastor Jacki SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS The Diaconate is searching for people to read one scripture reading during the Sunday services. We would like to set up a calendar for the entire year ( to ). Please send a note or to the church office, edenhurchucc@sbcglobal.net, by Wednesday, August 15. Include your name and how many times you would be willing to read. The diaconate will set up a calendar for the entire church season and assign a Sunday to you. The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless. Billy Graham 2

WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP, CONTINUED August Communion Gene Schnarr, Jack Campus August Readers Gene Schnarr 5 Bob Decker 12 Duane Ulrich 19 Zach Thomas 26 August Ushers Annmarie & Ethan Campus 5 Chris

3 WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP, CONTINUED August Communion Gene Schnarr, Jack Campus August Readers Gene Schnarr 5 Bob Decker 12 Duane Ulrich 19 Zach Thomas 26 August Ushers Annmarie & Ethan Campus 5 Chris Cervone & Larry Pavia 12 Daryl & Katie Dahmer 19 Annmarie & Ethan Campus 26 Happy Anniversary Katie & Nathan Albertin 22 David & Hope Chernich 13 Happy Birthday Olivia Reyes 1 Carol Love 5 Jeremy Lutzow 18 Larry Pavia 18 Quinn Castaing 19 Isabella Lorenty 19 Thomas Lorenty 22 Kelly Borgardt 24 Chet Borodziuk 26 Sally Navin 28 Edward Thomas 31 NEW CONTACT INFO: Sally Navin has moved to the Aurora area; her cell phone number is Bob Whetter s cell phone: Randy Gilliam has moved to the Asheville, NC area find him on Facebook! Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. - James 5:16 Please Keep These Friends In Your Prayers Send a card or give them a call to show your support. Contact Cheryl in our office or Pastor Jacki for an updated prayer request list Worship Attendance We publish these trends so you can see current patterns in attendance. Please know you re missed when you re not here! June adults 1 child July 1 15 adults 1 child 8 16 adults adults 1 child 3

4 GROWING TOGETHER CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AT EDEN UCC Adapted from June 24 & July 8 meetings THE BIG PICTURE: Christian Education has been a central part of Eden s mission from the beginning, as seen in traditions of Sunday morning Sunday School, confirmation of baptism, special worship involvement like Rally Day and Christmas programs, and long-held meal traditions hosted by CE Committee/Families. As commitments and volunteers were available over the decades, outings for fun, learning and service were also made, with a hope that these nurtured wholesome Christian friendship and faith formation. Like the majority of mainline Protestant congregations, Eden has long struggled to know how to retain, serve and learn from young adults upon their completion of confirmation. Going forward, we want to learn the lessons of recent years, serve our existing youth and children WELL, and be good stewards of our volunteers. The recommendations below take these into account and would be an intentional experiment departing from the current Constitutional role of CE Committee and Chair functions (Article XVII). RECENT BACKGROUND: In hopes of revitalization and outreach, our programs were supported and expanded (compared to more recent years) from with a first ever staff person, Hope Chernich, dedicated for this ministry area During these years, core traditions of Sunday School, Confirmation and church calendar celebrations continued. The committee sponsored new neighborhood outreach events included things like FallFest and a larger Rally Days than was Eden s previous norm. In addition, intergenerational mission outings, youth retreats and attendance at youth events of the wider church (concerts, conferences etc) increased. A model for weekly summer sessions was developed. A vision for intergenerational peer ministry influenced the Congregational Development Team s concepts for Growing Eden s Family programs funded by the UCC. In the flux of multiple staff transitions, a vision for a temporary bridge staff person for CE/Outreach was developed in Fall 2017 but then was delayed in implementation. In the meantime, we completed confirmation classes for Jack and Amanda, held weekly after school time on Tuesdays for 5-9 local youth, and started a monthly Friday night gathering. (Thanks to Larry Pavia, especially, for steady and creative presence on these, as well as support help from Sandy Damlos, Chris Cervone, David Angel and others.) We scaled back Rally Day for the year and did not attempt group outings. We also experimented with moving Sunday School to 10am, an idea floated with parents in the previous year. With the aging out of our older youth into confirmation and worship attendance, and the absence of children from our more peripheral families, Sunday School on Sunday morning has not been held in recent months. Pastor Jacki has participated in joint planning with three other churches for Summer Wednesdays with the 4 th Annual theme of Global Citizens. She and Larry Pavia are staffing these sessions through August 22 nd. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR On June 17, Pastor Jacki and CE leaders Debbie Miranda (Chair) and Debi Thomas met briefly to begin evaluations of the year and look ahead. They agreed to these recommendations: a) To plan for a BREAK from Sunday morning Sunday School for , or until such a time that suf ficient young children are present for that setting of Christian education. b) To invite a planning focus on youth group gatherings open to all our middle school and high school youth, on a schedule to be determined and to include occasional fun outings as in recent years c) To trust that various individuals may step up to help plan elements that are most important to us going forward, even if a formal committee does not exist (including necessary communication with the Council). This includes the possibility that no one will be elected chair at June 2018 elections. d) For Jacki to plan and lead confirmation for with all youth whom are ready, with the model and timing to be discerned further within her pastoral conversations with our families. 4

GROWING TOGETHER, CONTINUED Reenvisioning Christian Education, Continued On July 8, Grant Team members (David Angel, Katie Dahmer and Pastor Jacki) met with other congregants to envision next steps

5 GROWING TOGETHER, CONTINUED Reenvisioning Christian Education, Continued On July 8, Grant Team members (David Angel, Katie Dahmer and Pastor Jacki) met with other congregants to envision next steps for models of inreach and outreach that support our youth of all ages, as well as intergenerational experiences and adult learning. Watch for more details in the coming weeks. In addition to the above, we now know these things, we now know also that RALLY DAY will be an all-ages blast, with a Blessing of the Backpacks, Barbeque & Outdoor Games. All building users and neighbors invited. THANKS TO THESE EDEN SERVANTS ELECTED JUNE 24, 2018 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 1 Peter 4:10 Officers Ed Thomas -- President (2019) Debbie Miranda -Vice-President (2019) David Chernich Secretary (2019) David Angel Treasurer (2020) Trustees Debbie Lorenty (2019) Daryl Dahmer, Chair (2020) Diaconate Gene Schnarr (2019) Bob Decker, Chair (2019) Duane Ulrich (2020) Zachary Thomas (2020) Envelope Committee Debbie Miranda (2020) Isabella Miranda (2019) David Chernich (2019) Brian Lutzow (2019) Gene Schnarr (2020) Zachary Thomas (2020) Ushers Daryl Dahmer, Head (2020) Katie Dahmer (2020) Larry Pavia (2020) Chris Cervone (2020) Ethan Campus (2019) Annmarie Campus (2019) 4 th Annual Global Citizenship Program Continues on Wednesdays in August Service * Learning * Fun * New Friends * Growing in Faith Ages: 4th-12th Grades Theme - Come and See: Places for Peace Dates: 1 August 22 Times: 9am-4pm (departs from Eden) Price: $10-15 per day depending on event (Scholarship Assistance available for Eden attendees) Participating Churches: Members and friends of Berry Memorial UMC, Eden UCC, Elston Avenue UMC, and Irving Park UMC Contact Jacki or Larry for more information. 5

STEWARDSHIP GROWING EDEN S FAMILY APPEAL LETTER SENT Members of our Echo mailing list should have received an appeal mailing for Growing Eden s Family in the second week of July.

6 STEWARDSHIP GROWING EDEN S FAMILY APPEAL LETTER SENT Members of our Echo mailing list should have received an appeal mailing for Growing Eden s Family in the second week of July. Funds given in response to this invitation, which we do once a year, will be dedicated to the kinds of intergenerational and family-support programs (and the supplies and staff they need) which we ve been doing since If you re led and able to give, THANK YOU! If you d be willing to pray, THANK YOU! If you did not receive this mailing, please take a moment to let the office know. BLESSING OUR BUILDING The Trustees (Daryl Dahmer and Debbie Lorenty) and Pastor Jacki met late last month to begin a master list of immediate and longer-term issues. Among other things, head Trustee Daryl is presently working hard on vetting quotes for next stages of roof repair. Among other things, Debbie is working on a plan for carpet repair in the sanctuary. Watch for more details on a Fall "Labors of Love" Work Day in September or October, at which we will do such things as some external painting. For more info, contact Daryl Dahmer. $ $ $ TREASURER S REPORT $ $ $ At the June 24th Congregational meeting, David Angel reported the YTD financial status as of 6/22/18. Total income was $66,112,77 and total expenses were $63, This includes designated gifts and significant repair expenses to date above the budget. Contact David for more information THANK YOU s Thank you to Bob Decker and Rev. Jacki Belile and Carla Riggs for their donations to the Forget-Me-Not Fund in memory of Sue Decker. Thank you to Sally Navin for recent donation of a number of juicy mystery novels. This shelf of our library is moving like hotcakes! Thanks to numerous donors of supplies, movies and games to our youth and family programs over recent months, including gifts from Larry Pavia, Holly Lutzow, Marie MacDonald, Jacki Belile, Nora Edens, Chris Cervone and others. 6

August 2018 Calendar WEEKLY Sundays 10am Worship Mondays 2-5pm Office Hours Tuesdays 11am-Bible Study on Ephesians (Brown Bag Lunch) Wednesdays 9am-4pm Summer Youth Program 2-5pm Office Hours

All Dinner/Film, 6:30pm SAVE THE DATES September 9: Rally Day, 10am September 16: Life So Sweet Seminar with Living Well Ministries September 30: Service of Installation for Pastor Jacki, 4pm October

7 August 2018 Calendar WEEKLY Sundays 10am Worship Mondays 2-5pm Office Hours Tuesdays 11am-Bible Study on Ephesians (Brown Bag Lunch) Wednesdays 9am-4pm Summer Youth Program 2-5pm Office Hours Thursdays 4-6pm Super Soccer Fridays 2-4:30pm Office Hours EDEN MEETINGS August 5: Deacons Meeting, 11:30am August 12: Dinner Church Conversation, 11:30am August 14: Dinner/Dialogue: Inequality for All Dinner/Film, 6:30pm SAVE THE DATES September 9: Rally Day, 10am September 16: Life So Sweet Seminar with Living Well Ministries September 30: Service of Installation for Pastor Jacki, 4pm October 27: Annual Spaghetti Dinner OUR CHURCH COUNCIL Ed Thomas -- President Cell Debbie Miranda - Vice President dmiranda_86@hotmail.com Cell David Chernich Secretary djchernich@gmail.com Cell David Angel Treasurer David.w.angel@gmail.com Daryl Dahmer Chair, Trustees daryldahmer@comcast.net Bob Decker Chair, Deacons Saturdays 9am-1:15pm Super Soccer CASH RAFFLE ***Drawing on Christmas Eve*** $2 ticket, 3 for $5 You keep 1/2 Eden UCC keeps 1/2 Tickets on sale June 24 Contact Church office to order by mail info@edenuccchicago.org 7

Jacki Belile Sunday, September 30 4:00pm Reception Following Rev. Dr.

8 Eden UCC 5051 W. Gunnison Sunday School Rally Day September 9, 2018 Worship 10am...Followed by Barbeque & Games SAVE THE DATE! Service of Installation for Rev. Jacki Belile Sunday, September 30 4:00pm Reception Following Rev. Dr. Kirsten Peachey, preaching (No morning service this day) Eden United Church of Christ 5051 West Gunnison Street Chicago, IL Dated Material "Respecting Our Elders, Growing Healthy Families, Blessing Our Children" 8

WE ARE A COVENANT PEOPLE!

WE ARE A COVENANT PEOPLE! October 2018 A PUBLICATION OF EDEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST EDEN OPEN: A SPACE TO GROW Every Tuesday, 11-7pm @ Eden UCC DROP-IN/INCUBATOR, 11-7pm: Come any time for coffee, wi-fi, a change of scenery for