THE KEYS ST. PETER S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST GRANT PARK, IL February 2018 1
2018 COUNCIL MEMBERS Evelyn Bond, President Garry Junker, Vice President Kelly Schneider, Secretary Susan Williamson, Treasurer, Ron Hamann, Assistant Treasurer Sandy Erickson, Kaleb Frahm, Vicki Gawlinski, Russell Koehn, 2018 COMMITTEE/BOARD REPRESENTATIVES Board of Christian Education: Susan Williamson Budget Committee: Kaleb Frahm Cemetery Committee: Garry Junker Church Life Committee: Kelly Schneider Endowment Committee: Evelyn Bond Memorial Committee: Sandy Erickson Missions Committee: Ron Hamann Property and Maintenance Committee: Kaleb Frahm Shepherding Committee: Vickie Gawlinski Worship Committee: Russell Koehn YOU RE INVITED FOR COFFEE BEFORE WORSHIP! Don t forget the coffee bar in the Sunday school entrance area each Sunday morning from 9:00 am 10:15 am. You re invited to have a cup of coffee before worship. Proceeds support Board of Christian Education programs. FARMERS AND FRIENDS Farmers and Friends, a support group for men whose spouses have died, will meet at the USA Restaurant in Grant Park at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, February 21st. Calling and Caring Training Learn how to stop the Drop-Out Track by learning the language of healing. We are meeting from 9am -3pm on Saturdays: Feb. 10, 24 and March 10, 24. Let Rev. Jan know of your interest 2
February 11 - Mr. David Holston, from the Monee UCC,will be our Visiting Angel representing the Easter Association Council. David will be with us for the Sunday School hour and coffee fellowship and worship and will join us for Confirmation Class. Lenten Schedule Ash Wednesday (No Meal) Feb. 14: Theme: Love (Valentine s Day) 7pm 8pm Communion, Ashes, Choir sings Lenten Wednesdays Services 5:30-6:30pm Simple Supper Soup, Chili, bread and butter, carrots and celery sticks, Coffee/tea/lemonade. A Simple Supper. Please Sign Up 6:45 7:30 Worship in Sanctuary theme: Holy Days Feb. 21: Freedom (Lincoln s Birthday) Feb. 28: Prayer (World Day of Prayer) March 7: Leadership (Casmir Pulaski Day) March 14: Hunger (St. Patrick s Day Irish Potato Famine) March 21 New Life (Spring Equinox) Palm Sunday: Preparation Maundy Thursday: FWA Good Friday: 7AM scripture reading begins and ends at 7PM with worship: Loss and Grief Easter Sunrise (probably not outside this year): He is Alive! Easter Worship: He Is Risen! CHRISTMAS CARD MAIL BOX Thanks to everyone who supported the Christmas Card Mail Box! A total of $90.60 was donated, which will support our Confirmation program. CONCERNS Prayers for all those families affected by the flu virus. JOYS The 102 nd Birthday celebration for Mildred Katz. 3
Pastor s Article The month of LOVE! And this year Valentine s Day is on Ash Wednesday a time for deeper understandings and experiences of LOVE! The children s song: Love, Love, Love goes through my head around this time of year! Love, love, love! That s what it s all about! Cause God loves us we love each other: mother, father, sister, brother. Everybody sing and shout! Cause that s what it s all about: It s about love, love, love! It s about love, love, love! Love in our world is fun, exciting, wrenching, caring, intense, and young love is downright painful to watch! But LOVE in God s realm is filled with Peace and Hope and Joy! LOVE is one of the Fruit of the Spirit which is how we know the Holy Spirit is with us actions of the Spirit are filled with those 9 fruit and LOVE is one of the Fruit. On Valentine s Day this year, we celebrate LOVE the deep kind, symbolized by sackcloth and ashes and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. God s LOVE is able to wait for us to become aware of our need for healing and forgiveness, mercy and grace. God s LOVE is able to see all we can become when we allow LOVE to remold us. God s LOVE is able to heal and forgive anything and everything when we ask for it and sometimes even when we don t! God s LOVE costs us nothing and provides for every need we could possibly have. God s LOVE is stronger than fear and hatred and even violence! God s LOVE is never-ending and is always for all of Creation! We celebrate human love on Valentine s Day, but we go deep into God s presence and everlasting LOVE on Ash Wednesday. Come join us for Ash Wednesday service at 7pm in the sanctuary! Everyone is welcome, so bring a friend who needs LOVE. As we begin the Lenten Journey, may you draw near to God s Redeeming LOVE! Jan 4
PRAYER CONCERNS We encourage you to keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers: Cynthia Gerdez (friend of Margret Chesterfield) cancer, Peggy Heusing thanksgiving for being home, Gene Sievers prayers for healing for a broken hip, Dean Schneider - prayers for healing and comfort, Pauline Mitchell -prayers for comfort in nursing home, Nancy Lewke, prayers for healing, Janice Petit prayers for healing, Jason - prayers for healing, Stanley Schneider prayers for healing, Debbie Mussman prayers for healing, Jennie Hamann prayers for healing, Paul Loverin prayers for healing, and all of God s children seeking comfort, peace, and love. FEBRUARY MISSION GIVING Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM) or Basic Support Our contributions, sent to the Illinois Conference office, support God s mission in Illinois, nationally, and globally. 71% of our contribution stays in Illinois to carry out the mission of the Illinois Conference. 29% of our contribution goes to the national setting of the UCC to support ministry that reaches from our church to people in need throughout the world. Chicago United Eden; CUE Seminaries of the United Church of Christ The mission of the seminaries includes preparing new leadership for our churches, nurturing and supporting current leaders, and maintaining and adding to the tradition of theological scholarship in the UCC 5
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY LIST These birthdays are compiled from church membership records. Please call to our attention any omissions or corrections Tom Wieghaus 1 Jill Claussen 16 Kristine Koehn 2 Sarah Senesac 16 Max Markland 3 Jacob Dickson 18 Dornita Hamann 5 John Loitz 19 Will Schneider 5 Nancy Marcotte 19 Krysta Farina 9 Caleb Benson 22 Dan Holm 9 Adam Jacobson 24 John Lewke 13 Connor Claussen 26 Max Currier 14 Steven Lawrence 28 Mike Dillman 14 Daren Lehnert 28 Kevin Mussman 15 Bella Rodriguez 28 CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND CHURCH ON A REGULAR BASIS Mrs. Louise Sievers Mrs. Pauline Mitchell Riverside Senior Life Bickford Sr. Living 85 Burns Road 100 Jones Dr. Rm #227 Bourbonnais, IL 60914 Bourbonnais, IL 60914 Mrs. Doris Laking Mrs. Mary Cirks Humme Home for the Aging 717 Long Oak Rd. 604 S Webb Manteno, IL 60950 Whittenberg, WI 54499 HAVE YOU HEARD?? Many times you, the members and friends of St. Peter s United Church of Christ, learn of events, illnesses, and deaths before we do in the office. Please contact the church office (815.465.6191) with the information you learn about. 6
FEBRUARY 2018 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 4 9:00 am Sunday School 10:30 am Worship Service Communion (bring a can of soup for the food pantry in Beecher) 6 7:00 pm Board of Christian Education meeting 7 7:00 pm Adult Choir practice Dartball All Star Game 10 9:00-3:00pm Calling & Caring Training 11 9:00 am Sunday School 10:30 am Worship Service Confirmation Class 5:00 pm Dartball Ladies Night come and cheer the women on 14 5:30 pm Girl Scouts 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday Worship/Communion/Ashes 18 9:00 am Sunday School 10:30 am Worship Service 12:20 pm Council/Staff Luncheon at McVeys 21 12:30 Farmers and Friends Lunch 5:00 6:30pm Simple Supper 6:45 pm Lenten Worship Service in Sanctuary 22 7:00 pm Interim Task Force Meeting 24 9:00-3:00 pm Calling & Caring Training 25 9:00 am Sunday School 10:30 am Worship Service Confirmation Class 27 7:00 pm Church Council Meeting 28 5:30 pm Girl Scouts 5:00-6:30 pm Simple Supper 6:45 pm Lenten Worship Service in Sanctuary 7
ST. PETER S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 310 N. MEADOW ST. P.O. BOX 220 GRANT PARK, IL 60940 Church Office (815) 465-6191 Church Email Addresses: stpetersgp@sbcglobal.net Church Website: www.stpetersgp.org Facebook: St. Peters UCC Grant Park Church Office Hours: Tuesday Friday; 9:00 AM 1:00 PM STAFF Marcia Langlois, Office Administrator Beverly Junker, Financial Secretary Ann Smith, Senior Choir Director Kathy Ekhoff, Junior Choir Director Judy Schneider and Shari Ohm, Organists Christine Garbaciak, Custodian Rhiannon Currier & Rhonda McKinstry Youth Advisors CHURCH COUNCIL Evelyn Bond, President Garry Junker, Vice President Kelly Schneider, Secretary Susan Williamson, Treasurer, Ron Hamann, Assistant Treasurer Sandy Erickson, Kaleb Frahm, Vicki Gawlinski, Russell Koehn No Matter Who You Are or Where you Are on Life s Journey, You Are Welcome Here 8