The official newsletter of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ

August 2017

12N268 Switzer Road, Elgin, IL 60124 ♦ e-mail: stpauls4me@yahoo.com ♦ www.stpauluccelgin.org 847.628.6118 Wecare

FromJuly15-20myfamilywasinthehillsofwesternConnecticutattheUCCSilverLakeCampandConferenceCenter.Wehelpedtofacilitatecampfor4thand5thgraders,whileenjoyingtimetogetherasafamilyandbeingoutsideinnature.

Myfavoritepartofsummercampwaswatchinghowquicklythecamperswereabletobondandstartbecomingacommunity.Childrenwhodidnotknoweachotherbecamefriendsquicklyandcaredforoneanother.

Oneofmyfavoritemomentswaswhenahomesickchildsaidtohernewfriend,“EventhoughIwanttogohome,IamexcitedtostaysoIcanwatchyoupassyourswimtest.”

St.Paul’sislikeayear-longsummercampcommunityforchildrenandadults.Wecareforandsupportoneanotherinsomanyways.

Letusinviteotherstobecomeapartofthiscommunity,sotheytoocanfeelthiskindofjoy.

Journeyingwithyou,

PastorJill

Storytelling.IwonderhowmanystoriesIhavereadorheardinmylife.It’skindofmind-bogglingtoconsider.WhenItrytoevenestimate,mybraingetscaughtinthesameagainst-the-wallloopaswhenItrytoimagineinRinityortheedgeoftheuniverse.Icomefromafamilyofstorytellers.WealwaysmanagetoRindourselvesaroundakitchentable.TheoldestsometimesrepeatastoryandwelistenlikeitwastheRirsttelling.Theyoungestliketojoininthelaughter.Ourstories,likethreads,weavethroughusandbindusclose.Inmyfamily,asitmaybeinyours,storytellingisafamilyritual.

Iwonderhowmanystoriesyouhavereadorheardinyourlifetime.Iwonderhowmanystoriesyourchildrenhaveheardsofar;andnotjustfrombooks,butfromyou,yourfamily,andtheirfriends.Weareallstorytellersofsomekind.Weareallshapedbythestorieswehear.Andweall,inturn,becomeshaperswiththestorieswetell.

AstheChristianEducationteampreparestheFall2017curriculum,I’vebeenthinkingaboutthevalueofstorytellinginachild’sfaithformation.InherbookMakingaHomeforFaith:NurturingtheSpiritualLifeofyourChildren,ElizabethCaldwellsuggeststhatachild’sbestfaith-shapingresourcearethestoriesfromherparentsandfamily.Sometimes,though,adultsareintimidatedbyachild’sreligiousquestions.SometimesadultssidelinetheirstorytellingskillsbecausetheythinktheyneedtoRinda“rightanswer.”Caldwellasksadultstotrusttheirownstories,“Livingourfaithwithchildrencanbeassimpleaslisteningandtalkingwitheachother.Intheaskingofreligiousquestions...what‘childrenarereallyaskingisforustorevealandshareourselvesandourfaith,nottoprovidesomedogmaticanswers...’”(23).

CaldwelloffersalistofRiveguidelinesforsharingfaithwithchildren:tellingstories,celebrating,praying,livingourfaith,andperformingfaithfulactsofserviceandwitness(fromBringingUpChildrenintheChristianFaithbyJohnWestheroff).Whichonesareapartofyourfamily?Maybetellastorytoyourkidsaboutoneofthem.

Peace,LizPatz

Religion in the News

Millennialsclingtotheirsmartphonesandtablets,butfewaredownloadinganyreligiousapps.

Duringapresentationatthe2017BlackLeadershipSummit,EmilyHardman,CanterburyFellowwiththeBecketFundforReligiousLiberty,saidMillennialsbelieveinreligiousfreedom,butnotreligiouspractice.

“Theythink[religiousfreedom]ismerelyjustachoice,andit’stroublingtoseethatsomanydon’tknowwhatitmeansmorethanjustchoosing—itmeanspracticingthatfaithinameaningfulandauthenticway,”saidHardman.

A2015surveyofthetechgrouprevealedthefollowing:

• 58%ofMillennialsagreethatreligionispersonalandshouldnotplayasigniRicantroleinsociety;• Millennialsare13%moresecularthanoldergenerations;and• ReligiouslibertyconsideredbyMillennialsas“veryimportant”isaratesigniRicantlylessthan

olderAmericans.

Mission Ministry

St.Paul’sishelpingwithaHabitatBuild-a-DayonAug.19andwewillneedagroupof12volunteers.Allvolunteersmustregisterandsign-uponlineandsignasafetywaiver.Participantsmustbeatleast16yearsold.

Place:793ParkwayinElginTime:8:30–4p.m.(weatherpermitting,ifextremelyhotweatheritwillbeashorterday)

Ifyouareinterestedinvolunteeringpleasee-mailBarbKampbyAug.4atBarb.Kamp@yahoo.comandshewillsendyoualltheinformation.

Blessing of the Backpacks

StudentsofallagesareinvitedtobringtheirbackpackstochurchonSunday,Aug.13,toreceiveaback-to-schoolblessingandaspecialgift.

ACTS at Work

ACTShadaworkdayinearlyJune.Weorganizedthekitchenatthechurch,paintedLiz'sofRice,plantedthegarden,RilledtheplanterswithRlowers,pulledlotsofweeds,trimmedandpulledoutsomebushesandRilledtwotruckloadsofbranchesforDougVolkeningtotakehomeandburn.TheworkdaywasRinishedwithapotlucklunch.

Financially Speaking

ThetotalreceiptsforthemonthofJulywere$30,769.99.Ourspendableincomecameto$30,769.99,includingourOCWMincomeof$318.ThisalsoincludedabequestfromtheEnolaLeeCrouseTrust.

Wehadcharitableincomeof$33forthemonthofJuly,whichwasforPADSfromthesaleofthevegetablesfromthegarden.Wehavealsocollected51pairsofshoestobegiventotheFirstBaptistChurch“StepItUp”ShoeDriveforunderprivilegedstudents.

Alittleupdateonthe“J”Dollars:Wehavecollected$19,358sinceitsinception.Thetotalbillforthesignandelectricitytothesignis$20,340.Oncewecollectenoughtopayofftheremainder($982)wewillrevisittheideaofthisendeavorandeitherdiscontinueitorstartplanningoncollectingforsomethingelse.

Heritage Fest

St.Paul’sThirdAnnualHeritageFestwillbeheldSaturday,Oct.3,from3to7p.m.Moredetailsaretofollow.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleasecontactDaleVolkeningat847.987.3378.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

ThosecelebratingabirthdayinthemonthofAugustare:

SharleneGould(Aug.8) PatriciaThompson(Aug.8)FlorenceDrafall(Aug.10) SandyVolkening(Aug.10)AudreyHeinrich(Aug.11) OdyKamp(Aug.11)BeckyKelly(Aug.11) JudyVolkening(Aug.11)BonnieStarr(Aug.13) KayGuptail(Aug.16)ChristyVolkening(Aug.17) PatriciaSchmoldt(Aug.20)GordonFlentge(Aug.21) KatieKaye(Aug.24) ThosecelebratingananniversaryinthemonthofAugustare:

MyronandLindaMeglin(Aug.1) BillandKayGuptail(Aug.26)LeeandNicoleThielke(Aug.30)

August Greeters

Aug.6JanetWernerandPollyRussell Aug.13MikeandKarenWestermanAug.20BobandMaryWilms Aug.27JudyOlsenandMarjoryDralle

We want your pictures

IfyoutakepicturesatachurcheventpleaseemailthemtoLindaatstpauls4me@yahoo.com.Pleaseincludeanydescriptions.YourphotoscouldappearinthedigitaleditionofTheChimes.