The January 2012 Church Mouse

The Church Mouse Monthly newsletter for the members & friends of Community Congregational Church of Elburn

The Pastor’s Page…. We’re at the beginning of Year 2012. What would make it a Happy

New Year for you? We want good health, prosperity, well-being for our

children and grandchildren, conflicts the world over to cease, peace in the

world. It seems to me that something akin to this is our wish at the begin-

ning of every year - regardless of whether the year just past was a “good”

one in our estimation or a “bad” one.

However, much of what we would term ‘the best’ is not in our control. Yes,

we have a measure of control over the state of our health; yes, we have a measure of

control over whether we are prosperous, we even have a – albeit tiny - measure of

control related to the well-being of our family and friends, and yes, even to peace in

the world. But, in order to get ‘the best’ as we imagine it, most of us know that it

will take not only our wishing but also many other factors ‘out there’ to line up just

right. Thus, at the end of 2012, we may find ourselves lamenting that ‘the best’ did

not occur for us in one way or another. That is, our health may be negatively affect-

ed, our level of prosperity may not make appreciable change, our children and

grandchildren will make their own decisions about life that may not be in accord with

ours, the conflicts and famines that happen in faraway places may have been little

impacted by the end of the year.

Most of us know the expression, “If wishes were horses, beggars could ride.”

This means that wishing by itself is probably not going very far. So the question

comes, what would give ‘legs’ to our wishes? What would make them more than

wishes, but perhaps hopes, or even intentions, or further, plans?

Perhaps if we add a wish to our wishes: that whatever comes, may we rejoice

thoroughly in the good parts, cope well in the not so good, and at all times, be ready

to find the redemptive thing in each event or circumstance – that is, the thing within

each event or circumstance that gives it meaning beyond the literal, beyond the tem-

poral.

This means turning our eyes to Jesus. In all my years, I have seen nothing

work so effectively as this. In this way, we as believers do get, through the mercy

and the mystery of God working in this world, sometimes in us, the best for which

we wish. We add a plane of living to the readily visible. We add a resource in addi-

tion to what is available earth-side.

So, I wish for you a wonderful New Year, and I wish to add that last very im-

portant wish to whatever you are wishing for yourself and your loved ones:

You crown the year with Your bounty;

your wagon tracks overflow with richness. – Psalm 65:11

Pastor Michelle

January 2012

Church Office Hours:

Monday through Friday

9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Phone: (630) 365-6544

[email protected]

INTERIM PASTOR

Rev. Michelle Prentice-Leslie

MODERATOR

Sharon Lackey

VICE-MODERATOR

Mary Royer

TREASURER

Tammy Eckstrom

FINANCIAL SECRETARY

Cindy Doede

CHURCH CLERK

Karen Baston

MINISTRY ASSISTANT

Linda Miller

+++

Please use our street address when

corresponding with the church:

100 E. Shannon Street

Elburn, IL 60119

+++

Our website is constantly

being updated. Check it out!

www.ccc-elburn.org

January 2012 Community Congregational Church page 2

Musings from the Moderator… Happy New Year to all! I usually have the same new year's resolution every year - get in shape and watch what I eat. I never seem to really make much progress. I always fall off the wagon at some point but it turns out that as long as I keep hopping back on I can at least keep things from getting out of hand. This year I'm hoping that we will all add another resolution to the list - be more active at church. One way to do this is to come to the ministry meeting each month and help with one of the ministries. The choices are: Mission, Buildings and Grounds, Finance, Inreach, Outreach, Memorial and Christian Education. All of these groups need help, fresh ideas and new faces. Many hands will lighten the load. If you're not sure which is the best fit for you, come to the meeting and try one on for size. You'll not only help the church fulfill it's mission but you will have an opportunity to get to know your fellow church members better and maybe make some new friends.

See you in worship,

Sharon Lackey

Moderator

TAIZE Prayer Services

The Bible tells us to pray without ceas-

ing. We pray on Sunday, at Bible Study,

before meals, in times of joy and sorrow.

Looking for a new—or actually, very

OLD—way to pray? Try a TAIZE prayer service.

The first Friday of each month, Ascension Church

in Oak Park hosts a TAIZE service at 7:30p, and Pastor

Michelle invites you to join her. TAIZE is a quiet ser-

vice of meditation, reflection, readings and music. The

singing is repetitive, until the song sings YOU, as Pas-

tor Michelle points out. Contact the church office if

you are interested in attending on Friday, Jan. 6.

St. Charles Episcopal Church on north Fifth Ave-

nue also offers Taize worship on Sunday, Jan. 8 at

7:30p. Though not quite as majestic as the Oak Park

site, this nearby opportunity will give you an idea of

what Taize worship is all about.

Lazarus House Dinner Our friends at Lazarus House continue

to be in our thoughts and prayers as we

provide the occasional dinner for them. As

a church we provide the evening meal on the fifth Friday

of every month that has 5 Fridays, which means that our

next opportunity is March 30. The sign-up sheet will be

on the easel in Schneider Hall, ready for you to fill in the

part of the meal you’d like to provide. Remember, Laza-

rus House has a stockpile of frozen foods from which to

choose when planning/preparing a meal. Contact Lazarus

House in advance (630-587-5872), visit and select food,

and store food in church freezers until needed. Disposable

pans are available at church for delivering the meals.

Won’t you sign up to help? Thank You!

Thank you to Chris Pangborn, Judy Taylor, Diane

Bergquist and Kathy Thompson for providing and deliver-

ing the December 30 dinner.

An adult education offering through our church, four Sundays in February, 12:30 pm, led by Pastor Michelle. Bring your lunch with you to worship, stay for fellow-ship and then the class. All Christians need to better under-stand our 21st century world. Please pray about par-

Sunday School Notes…. The Youth Group and Sunday School Chil-

dren combined their talents on Dec. 18 to

give us a look at the Christmas story from a

very different perspective—that of the angels

who were charged with bringing the good news of

Christ’s birth to humankind. In “Angels We Have Hears

On High” we heard Lauren, Jacob, Jeremy and Ryan all

discussing what their new jobs would be, when Amanda

runs in out of breath with news that Gabriel (aka Alex)

would be coming soon to hand out assignments.

Thank you, Jessie, for finding this wonderful drama to

add to our Advent worship.


Just from Jessie….

During the months of January and February

we will be raising money and preparing for

30 Hour Famine on March 9-10. The money we raise

will be sent to World Vision, an organization that pro-

vides food, clean water, healthcare, education and eco-

nomic opportunity to children in countries in need

around the world. You can help us by giving money and/

or prayers from January to March. On the weekend of

the Famine we will be fasting from food or phone, iPod

and internet from after lunch at school Friday, March 9 to

6pm on Saturday, March 10. We will stay at my house

and learn about poverty through videos and community

service by serving West Suburban Food Pantry from 8:15

-1:15 Saturday morning. This is an opportunity to grow

by stretching ourselves (fasting) while learning what it is

like to go without for 30 hours. We will be making a

fundraising goal together as a youth group that we hope

to reach. More information to come in January and Feb-

ruary! Thank you for your prayer and financial support!

Volunteers Needed for 2012

If you have looked on the table in the Narthex, you will notice that

there are many opportunities to serve the church during or after

worship on Sundays. Won’t you consider participating in worship

in one of the following ways:

Altar Flowers Honor a birthday, anniversary or memory of a loved one.

Worship Assistant Assist Pastor Michelle by leading prayers and reading

scriptures.

Fellowship Make the coffee & tea water, provide a simple table of

refreshments, such as fruit, cheese & crackers, cookies

or coffee cake. A team effort makes this a lot easier.

Communion Prep & Serve Provide bread, wine and grape juice, set up the trays,

and help Pastor Michelle serve Communion the first

Sunday

Fox Valley Association Meeting Notes

Regina Kurth and Pastor Michelle attended the Fox Valley

Association (FVA) meeting on September 24, 2011. The meet-

ing was held at New England Congregational UCC in Aurora.

It began with worship in the sanctuary and a presentation from

our keynote speaker, news broadcaster Larry Potash. Larry

Potash’s speech was titled “The Challenges of Interfaith Rela-

tionships” and he described how he, a Jew, and his wife, a

Christian, work things out in their marriage and family.

Then we each attended a workshop. Regina participated in

a mission field trip to Hesed House. She was given a very thor-

ough tour of the facility and all it has to offer. Fortunately,

Hesed House had the foresight to get most of their funding

from private donations and grants. Therefore, the State of Illi-

nois financial crisis hasn’t affected them too much. Pastor

Michelle attended a workshop on social media and the church,

as it has become a major means of communication in the 21st

century and many churches are using it successfully.

In the afternoon, both Pastor Michelle and Regina attended a

workshop titled “Islam” by Rev. Dr. Martin Forward. Although

American and Christian, Dr. Forward, he grew up in an Islamic

culture, and he shared what it is like for typical Muslims, not

the radicals that make the news.

After the workshop, we had an afternoon worship with

communion. It was a very enriching and wonderful day of wor-

ship and learning, and fellowship with people from other Unit-

ed Church of Christ congregations.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Ever wonder about all those fantastic gifts in the

song? Well, we found out “the rest of the story”

a few weeks ago and shared it during worship on

Dec.11. During the 14th thru 17th centuries,

Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their

faith openly. During that time, someone wrote this carol as

a catechism song, with code words for a religious reality

that the children could remember:

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the gospels of Matthew,

Mark, Luke and John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah, or the first

five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming were the gifts of the Holy

Spirit: prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, con-

tribution, leadership and mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the fruits of the Holy Spir-

it: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faith-

ful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the

twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.


Happy Birthday

Best wishes to these members and friends who are celebrating January birthdays.

January 4 Kathy Thompson January 6 Cliff Johnson January 9 Deloris Jones January 11 Chris Pangborn January 12 Glen Carlson, Meagan Holloman January 19 Dylan Johnson January 23 Lorena Repp, Rebecca Miller January 24 Chaon Denlinger, Joann Stover, Linda Miller January 27 Tammy Eckstrom January 28 James Wilmath January 29 Diana Biddle January 31 Barb Holloman

Happy Anniversary

Congratulations to these celebrating January wedding anniversaries:

No January anniversaries to announce.

If you know of birthdays or anniversaries that are missing from the calendar or listed incorrectly, please call the office so they may be added/corrected. Thank you.

A Bible FAQ What is the Bible? There is more than

one way to answer this question! A good

place to start may be to say that the Bible

is a library. A literal meaning of the word

“bible” is “book of books.” It is 66 books for Protestants,

73 for Catholics. It divides into the 39 books of the Old Tes-

tament, which tell the story of God’s dealings with Israel,

and the 27 books of the New Testament, which tell the story

of Jesus and the church that followed him.

To call the Bible “a library” means that there are different

types of literature between its two covers: drama, history,

law code, song, poetry, gospels, parables, letters and more.

Key to using the Bible is knowing what part of the library

you are in or what type of literature you are hearing or read-

ing. Even more importantly, a library is defined by its owner

and their purpose. This library is the library of Israel and the

Church. It reminds Jews and Christians who they are and

whose they are.

[Bible FAQ’s are written by Anthony B. Robinson and appear in

The Bible and the United Church of Christ, a collection of short

essays by UCC writers, to introduce or re-acquaint readers with

the Bible.]

Women’s Fellowship!

All women of the church are welcome to attend the next meeting of the Women’s Fellowship on Friday, January 13 at 1:00pm in Schneider Hall. Bring a friend! This isn’t an actual “church” meet-ing, just a gathering of friends for coffee, treats, laughter and conversation. There’s always a seat for you around the table. Thank you to Karen Diesel for the organization of last month’s brunch. With winter upon us, maybe soup or chili, with accompanying bread, salad and light dessert, would be something to consider.

Congratulations

We are so pleased to announce a new addi-

tion to our faith family! Jacob Michael Ray,

son of Suzy and David Ray, was born on De-

cember 2 and made his first appearance in

church on December 18. Grandma Sharon

Lackey is so proud to be a grandma for the 5th time! Con-

gratulations to everyone!

We also offer our congratulations to Jeff and Laurie Jasker

who were united in marriage in our sanctu-

ary on Friday, December 16. The Christmas

poinsettias were delivered just that day,

making the setting for their quiet ceremony

quite festive. Best wishes to the bride and

groom!

Our Condolences

We offer the condolences of the entire congre-

gation to the following families:

Ron & Judy Johnson and family on the pass-

ing of their nephew Chad Ryan Johnson on October 24.

Bonnie Anderson and family on the passing of her sis-

ter, Orva Jump.

Mable Brady and her family on the passing of her sister

Caroline Mack on December 13.

Family and friends of Lucy Peters who passed away on

December 21 in East Grand Rapids, MI. Though not a

member of CCC, she attended regularly with her hus-

band, George, and was active in many church func-

tions. Always a gracious lady, her bright smile and gen-

tleness will be missed.

Usher Teams for January

January 1—Team #4 Captain: Pangborn Family

January 8—Team #5 Captain: Jessie & Youth Group

January 15—Team #1 Captain: Baston Family

January 22—Team #2 Captain: Kurth Family

January 29—Team #3 Captain: Merfeld Family


January 1 ~ First Sunday after Christmas 9:00 a.m. NO Sunday School

9:20 a.m. NO Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Worship with Hope Anglican

11:30 a.m. Fellowship

5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service

January 8 ~ Baptism of Christ 9:00 a.m. Sunday School

9:20 a.m. Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Worship with Holy Communion



January 15 ~ Second Sunday after Epiphany 9:00 a.m. Sunday School


10:30 a.m. Worship

11:30 a.m. Fellowship—Annual Meeting


January 22 ~ Third Sunday after Epiphany 9:00 a.m. Sunday School


10:30 a.m. Worship



January 29 ~ Fourth Sunday after Epiphany 9:00 a.m. Sunday School


10:30 a.m. Worship; Reverse Offering

11:30 a.m. Linger Longer Potluck


Thank You for Your Support! Dear Church Family,

Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, visits and calls.

Dave and I certainly enjoyed all the wonderful meals you made

and delivered. We enjoyed each and every one. The recovery is

slow, but is coming along. I guess I don’t do anything the simple

way!

With love, Mary Royer

Linger Longer Meal ~

Sunday January 29, 11:30a

Everyone is invited, whether you bring a dish to pass or not! There’s always plenty of food!

PLEASE CALL!!

If you are in the hospital and would like a visit from Pastor Michelle, call the church office at 630.365-6544 or Pastor Michelle herself at (630) 267-7555. Remember, because of the new privacy laws, we do not always know when you are hospitalized. PLEASE let us know or have someone call for you.

Thank You

Many thanks to the entire congregation for the gener-

ous gift on Christmas Eve. I’ve been saving up to pur-

chase something special for our garden up in Michigan.

Thank you all for making that happen. Linda

January 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Team 4 ushers

9a No Sunday School

9:20a No Bible Study

10:30a Worship with

Hope Anglican

11:30a Fellowship

2

3

9a Crafty Crafters

1p Knitting

COMMITTEE &

BOARD REPORTS

DUE IN THE OF-

FICE

4

11a Seniors Bible

Study at Meadows

4p Midweek Bible

Class

5:15p Confirmation

5

6:30p FMSC

7p Choir

6

5:30p Den Mtg.

7

9a Taking Down of

the Greens

8

Team 5 ushers

9a Sunday School

9:20a Bible Study

10:30a Worship with

Holy Communion

11:30a Fellowship

5p Hope Anglican

9

10

9a Crafty Crafters

1p Knitting

6p AMEN Group

7p Ministries

Meetings

7:30p Scouts (may be

moving their meeting

to Mondays in 2012)

11

11a Seniors Bible

Study at Meadows

4p Midweek Bible

Class

5:15p Confirmation

6p Youth Group

12

6p AMEN Group

6p Girl Scouts

7p Church Council

13

1p Women’s

Fellowship in

Schneider Hall

6p Den 11 Scouts

14

9a Scout Activity

15

Team 1 ushers

9a Sunday School

9:20a Bible Study

10:30a Worship

11:30a Annual

Meeting / Fellowship

5p Hope Anglican

16

7:15p Pastor Parish

Relations Mtg

17

9a Crafty Crafters

1p Knitting

7:30p Scouts

18

11a Seniors Bible

Study at Meadows

4p Midweek Bible

Class

NO Confirmation

6p Youth Group

19 7p Choir

20

21 8:30a Leadership

Lab

22 Team 2 ushers

9a Sunday School

9:20a Bible Study

10:30a Worship

11:30a Fellowship

5p Hope Anglican

23

MOUSE Deadline

24 9a Crafty Crafters

1p Knitting

7:30p Scouts

25 11a Seniors Bible

Study at Meadows

4p Midweek Bible

Class

5:15p Confirmation

6p Youth Group

26

27

28

29

Team 3 ushers

9a Sunday School

9:20a Bible Study

10:30a Worship

11:30a Linger

Longer Meal

5p Hope Anglican

30

31

9a Crafty Crafters

1p Knitting

7:30p Scouts

February Highlights! February 5, 12, 19, 26 12:30p.m. Pastor Michelle will con-

duct a series of classes about the Islamic faith and way of life.

Bring a sack lunch. Open to the public. February 8 6:30p.m. Feed My Starving Children February 22 7:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday worship with Holy

Communion and imposition of ashes. February 29 6:00 p.m. Soup and Spirit

Mission Statement

The Community Congregational United Church of Christ

of Elburn is called by God

to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ

to our community and beyond by serving as

His heart, hands and feet through worship, prayer, Christian education and

mission ministries.

Community Congregational Church 100 E. Shannon Street Elburn, Illinois 60119

January 2012

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

God is still speaking,

MAILING LABEL

Please use our street address when

mailing anything to the church office:

100 E. Shannon Street

Elburn, IL 60119

Member of the Elburn Chamber of Commerce

Save the date on your calendar!

All-church Annual Meeting

Sunday, January 15 11:30a

immediately following worship.

Reports from boards and

committees are due January 3

The January 2012 Church Mouse

Documents

Transcript of The January 2012 Church Mouse