C O M M O N C A L L P R E S I D E N T S MESSAGE. Dear Friends,

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1 Oak Park River Forest Community of Congregations A U G U S T C O M M O N C A L L P R E S I D E N T S MESSAGE Dear Friends, I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Board of Directors Members 3 Board of Directors 4 Time to Renew 5 Fall Meeting 5 September is Hunger Awareness Month. Look for opportunities to engage in the dialogue that will lead to action to change the way we respond to hunger in our communities. The Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry has many resources for your congregations to use to lift up this important challenge. The Community of Congregations Fall Meeting will focus on Hunger on Monday September 29, at 7:30 pm at St. Giles Church, 1025 Columbian Avenue, Oak Park. Let us come together as community to address this issue. Join us on September 29. Summer Festival at United Lutheran West Side Business Network Work and Workers are Central to God s Creation Volunteer Opportunities at Prevail Interfaith Green Network Focus on Sustainability Plan On July 24, many of us attended a meeting organized by Community Renewal Society calling upon Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans to implement reforms to the bond court and pretrial services, partner with the community to create Restorative Justice with adults, and expand current mental health and substance abuse programs. Consider these facts: 90% of Cook County Jail population are pretrial detainees 25-30% of detainees at Cook County Jail suffer from mental illness 70% are charged with nonviolent offenses 43% of drug cases are dismissed at preliminary hearings It costs tax papers an average of $143/day to hold someone at the Jail This totals over $500,000,000 per year By comparison, only $1,900,000 per year is spent on violence prevention There was standing room only at New Landmark Missionary Baptist Church as representatives from city and suburban Cook County churches and organizations gathered to engage Judge Evans in dialogue. Judge Evans had been meeting since May with representatives of several organizations and was prepared to agree to all of the requests that were presented that night. This was an important step for all of us to take to shift the approach we take to solving our community challenges. Those gathered committed to supporting decisions made by judges that may end up sending back into the community someone who commits devastating crimes. We

2 Common Call Page 2 also committed to educating and training our communities and congregations in Restorative Justice and publically supporting new reform initiatives and standing behind our leaders and judges who implement them. I hope we are all on board with these important steps to realizing justice in our communities. Our membership drive continues. We would love to have your faith community join the ranks of those who are supporting Community of Congregations programs with financial commitments. We also welcome your delegates to join us in the work. Our wider community counts on us. And we count on you. If your faith community has not yet become a 2014 member, please follow the instructions on page 5. We look forward to hearing from you. Mark your calendar for the Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 23 at 7:00 pm, this year hosted by West Suburban Temple Har Zion, in River Forest. Make sure you take some time in these remaining weeks of summer to enjoy the gifts our communities have to offer. It is a joy to serve our communities with you. Sally Rev. Sally Iberg, President Community of Congregations Senior Pastor Pilgrim Congregational Church sally.iberg@pilgrimoakpark.org T H A N K Y O U TO OUR 2014 MEMBERS: Ascension Church, Oak Park River Forest United Methodist Church Baha i Community of Oak Park Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, Oak Park First United Church of Oak Park First United Methodist Church Fraternite Notre Dame, Chicago Grace Episcopal Church, Oak Park Oak Park Friends Meeting Oak Park Temple Pilgrim Congregational Church, Oak Park Shem Center for Interfaith Spirituality, Oak Park St. Christopher s Episcopal Church, Oak Park St. Edmund Parish, Oak Park St. Giles, Oak Park St. Luke Catholic Parish, River Forest United Lutheran Church, Oak Park Unity Temple, Oak Park Unity Church of Oak Park West Suburban Temple Har Zion, River Forest

3 Common Call Page 3 C O M M U N I T Y OF CONGREGAT I O N S BOARD OF DIRECTO R S Officers: President, Rev. Sally Iberg Pilgrim Congregational Church Vice President, Joe McDonald Ascension Catholic Church Treasurer, Mike Prus Ascension Catholic Church Secretary Past President, Len Grossman West Suburban Temple Har Zion At-large Members: Rev. Dennis Bushkofsky United Lutheran Rev. Emily Gage Unity Temple Bob Hahn First United Rev. Kathy Nolte Good Shepherd Lutheran Marrey Picciotti St. Giles Catholic Parish Jim Robinson Oak Park Temple Cheryl Speight First United Methodist Delegates Emeritus: Harriette Robinet and McLouis Robinet St. Edmund Parish To learn more please visit: If your organization has a special celebration or activity that you would like to share with the Community of Congregations network, please send your information to Katie Avalos at oprfcoc@gmail.com or call by the 25 th of the month.

4 Common Call Page MEMBERSHIP DRIVE Congregations in Oak Park, River Forest, and surrounding areas participate with the Community of Congregations through membership which supports our ministries: Sacred Spaces House of Worship Walk, Celebrating Seniors, Holiday Food and Gift Baskets, Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. Our membership year begins in January and we hope that your faith community will actively participate. Please consider contributing at one of the recommended levels: Up to 25 members: $ members: $ members: $ members: $400 More than 200 members: $500 Please send your membership dues along with the names(s), address, , and phone number for your faith leader(s), administrator, and up to three delegates to: Community of Congregations P.O. Box 3365 Oak Park, IL Please contact Katie Avalos with questions at or oprfcoc@gmail.com. Together let s continue our work of building relationships with our neighbors. Join us! S AV E THE DAT E: OUR FALL MEETING Fall Community Meeting September 29, :30 to 9:00 pm September is HUNGER month! To raise awareness of the issue of hunger the Community of Congregations is hosting a small panel discussion surrounding the issue of hunger in our community. After a short presentation by panel members, smaller groups will be formed with each panelist to further discuss and answer direct questions. Make your calendars and join us at St. Giles Church, 1045 Columbian Ave. Oak Park, IL.

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6 Common Call Page 6 S U M M E R FESTIVA L AT UNITED LUTHERAN United Lutheran Church in northeast Oak Park will hold its annual Summer Festival on Sunday, August 24, on the church lawn. Meant as a gift to the community and a way to get to know neighbors outside the church walls, the festival will begin at 10 a.m. with an outdoor worship service, followed at 11 a.m. by free food, games and other activities. A highlight of the worship service will be the installation of Pastor Dennis Bushkofsky, who has accepted an open-ended call to serve United. Pastor Bushkofsky, a member of the board of the Community of Congregations, had been leading the congregation under a two-year term. At 1 p.m. there will be a Blessing of Backpacks for school children about to return to the classroom. Free food and fun including face-painting and a bounce house continue until 3 p.m. United is at 409 Greenfield St. (Greenfield and Ridgeland). For more information call or go to unitedlutheranchurch.org. Submitted by Richard Liefer

7 Common Call Page 7 U P C O M I N G WEST SIDE NETW O R K MEETINGS West Side Bridge Thursday, August 14, :30am Austin Weekly News 141 S. Oak Park Avenue Oak Park, IL West Side Men Friday, August 15, :00 pm MacArthur's Restaurant 5412 W. Madison St. Chicago, IL West Side Woman Monday, August 4, :00am Alice's Restaurant 5638 W. Chicago Ave Chicago, IL West Side Business Network Join an event planning committee: Social Event, Fundraising, Education, Mental Health, Men s Health Awareness. Sign up here: 8_ijZ_wezISjZzPa6epQkzA6Vw/viewform W O R K AND WORKERS ARE CENT R A L TO GOD S CREAT I O N Join in a conversation with Kim Bobo, founder and executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice to explore the condition of workers today. She will discuss with us information from her latest book, Wage Theft in America: Why Millions of Working Americans Are not Getting paid And what We Can do About it and other issues facing workers. The program is sponsored by St. Giles Peace and Justice and the St. Giles Family Mass Action for Justice committees responding to Pope Francis words in The Joy of the Gospel that we "are called to show concern for building a better world" which means opportunity for "education, access to health care, and above all employment, for it is through free, creative and mutually supportive labor that human beings enhance the dignity of their lives." The event will be Sunday September 7th at 7 p.m., McDonough Hall in the St. Giles Parish Gleeson Building 1101 N. Columbian in Oak Park. Submitted by Gerri Brauneis

8 Common Call Page 8 P R E VA I L HAS BRAND NEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Administrative Associates: Prevail is seeking one (or more) volunteers to assist in our Emergency Assistance and Referrals and/or our Job Readiness program(s) as an assistant to the program managers. The position offers an invaluable experience assisting with program management, which includes: overseeing client service hours and answering phone inquiries, opportunity for one-on-one client interaction, involvement in volunteer training and management, responsibility for client database management and reporting. Hours are negotiable, but would need to occur on weekdays between 9am 2 pm, on Wednesday afternoons, between 3 pm - 6 pm (on the first Wendesday of the month, hours would happen between 6:30 pm - 9 pm), or on Saturdays between 9 am - 12 noon. Ideally, we would like 2-3 volunteers, each covering somewhere between hours a week during these hours. The Administrative Associate position would be perfect for a recent college grad looking to build a resume or spend a gap year on a service opportunity. Also, a perfect fit for a homemaker or a retired person seeking a meaningful volunteer commitment. Faith Community Liaisons: Prevail is seeking volunteers to act as liaisons between Prevail and local faith communities. Prevail has relied on the generous financial and volunteer support of local faith communities since our inception to achieve our mission. We want to build on that relationship within our community. Ideally, we would like to have a relationship with local faith communities via members of their own congregations, who would be able to answer questions about Prevail and the services we offer, direct members of the congregation with an interest in Prevail to the appropriate Board or Staff member(s), keep congregations stocked with informational materials about Prevail and keep Prevail informed about upcoming congregational outreach opportunities. For more information, please contact Michelle Ptack at atmptack@prevailon.org or (708) x2108 H E L P US CELEBRAT E OUR NEW SOLAR SYS T E M On Friday, August 22, from 4-6pm the Methodist Bishop (Northern Illinois Conference) will be joining Euclid Av United Methodist Church (405 S. Euclid Av.) to Bless our new Solar System and the Butterfly Garden. The Bishop, who will highlight the faith community need to care for God s creation, will be joined by State Senator Don Harmon, Village Trustee Bob Tucker, Seven Generations Ahead s Gary Cuneen, Faith in Place s new Director Brian Sauders and Pam Todd, Wild Ones. Following the Blessing and remarks there will be a reception with tours of the garden and solar. We will also have tables to talk to you about Solar/Geothermal/Butterfly Gardens/Energy Efficiency. Come to learn more about how you might lighten your footprint.we need a head count so reserve with Dick Alton (richard.alton@gmail.com

9 Common Call Page 9 I N T E R FA I T H GREEN NETW O R K FOCUS ON LOCAL SUS- TA I N A B I L I T Y PLAN Congregations from throughout the Oak Park/River Forest area were instrumental, a few years ago, in helping to formulate the area s PlanItGreen Sustainability Plan. That plan was formally adopted by the village boards, and the Interfaith Green Network of OP/RF (IGN) has taken up the task of helping congregations and individuals actually implement the specific strategies of the plan. As one example, IGN has organized several public forums at which faith community members can share with one another what they are doing in the areas of energy saving, water conservation, waste reduction, healthy food production and distribution, plus advocacy and educational efforts, among others. Recently, IGN has begun to advocate the use of the handy Checklist of PlanItGreen Strategies for both congregations and individuals (see below). One of the priority areas is that of Energy which recommends energy audits for buildings, investments in money-saving energy efficiency upgrades, and the installation of clean, renewable energy units. These are among the prime strategies in fighting unchecked climate change. As the implications of the degradation of our environment (and especially the disruption of our climate system) become more and more evident, it is clear that the health of our environment is more than a technical/scientific issue it is a moral issue that calls out for a concerted effort by the faith community to protect the future wellbeing of all our brothers and sisters as well as the rest of Life. A sharing breakfast for clergy leaders will be held in the Fall to continue the spread of PlanItGreen strategies: Wednesday, October 22 7:30-9:00am West Suburban Temple Har Zion 1040 N. Harlem River Forest, IL For more information contact: Jim Babcock: jlbabck@sbcglobal.net Dick Alton: richard.alton@gmail.com

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15 THE GALEWOOD-NORTH AVE- NUE FARMER S MARKET SUNDAYS JUNE 8, 2014 T0 OCTOBER 12, :00 AM TIL 2:00 PM CHARTER ONE BANK PARKING LOT 6700 WEST NORTH AVENUE A PROJECT OF THE NORTHWEST SIDE COMMUNITY COALITION (INCLUDING THE NORTH AVENUE NIEGHBORS ASSOCIATION OF OAK PARK) TO BRING FRESH PRODUCE TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.

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20 On Sat., Sept. 6, 2014, Sr. Teresita Weind brings her powerful message of God s fidelity to us. This stirring spiritual leader will raise us into God s embrace. After a 23-year absence, she returns to the Chicago area as congregational leader of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Her current role takes her around the world to her order s varied and humble ministries. She will travel from Rome to be with us and share her immense gifts as spiritual guide, prayer animator, and inspirational speaker. You will never forget hearing her speak! Sr. Teresita has been called an inspiring homilist, a gracious presence, a charismatic leader, and a gentle dynamo. She is said to offer a simplicity of spirit with an international world view. Another says, Sr. Teresita imparts a unique spirituality that gives each participant a special grace, uplift, and peace. This evocative one-day retreat, open to men and women, takes place at St. Catherine of Siena St. Lucy Church, 38 N. Austin Blvd., Oak Park, IL from 9 am to 3:30 pm on Sat., Sept. 6. Again, the retreat is the collaborative effort of 6 local parishes. Registration is now open. Register by Aug. 21 to be guaranteed lunch! A registration form can be obtained from the St. Catherine- Lucy Rectory by calling You are also invited to meet and greet Sr. Teresita on Fri. evening, Sept. 5 and/or to attend 10:30 am mass on Sun., Sept. 7 at St. Catherine of Siena St. Lucy Church during which Sr. Teresita will speak.

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