THE PILGRIM August 2013

Issue 7

Pastor’s Corner 2

Moderator Musings 3

From the Vice Moderator/

Fall Program Kickoff 4

Children and Youth 5

Music Ministry & School Supply Collection 6

Community 7-10

Two Way Street Coffee House 11

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Jesus told his disciples to take the gospel to Jerusalem, to Samaria

and to the ends of the earth. We have worked hard locally with

Bridges, PADS, Night Ministry,

Habitat, Feed my Starving

Children, and we have expanded

the circle to include our regional

neighbors in disaster relief trips to

Joplin, Cape Girardeau, Henryville,

and Athens. Now we will go

global.

You are invited you to an

informational meeting for prelimi-

nary planning for a trip to South

Africa in 2014. The meeting will

cover conduct and presence in

serving in a foreign nation with

different history, traditions and

cultures, safety, immunizations,

costs and travel dates. Please join

me on Sunday, August 4 prior to

worship! Thank you. –Pastor Scott

Fall Program

Kickoff!

Sunday, September 8

9:30 a.m. worship

at church

4:00 p.m.

Picnic & Games at

Indian Boundary

YMCA

(see page 4)

Fi rst Congregat ional

Uni ted Church of Chri st

Downers Grove , IL

Chicago Night Ministry Thursday, August 15

4:30 pm

FCC will be assisting with The Night

Ministry on Thursday, August 15. The Night

Ministry is a Chicago-based organization that

works to provide housing, health care and

human connection to those in the

community struggling with poverty or

homelessness. Not only will FCC members

serve dinner that evening, but we also

prepare sandwiches and snacks beforehand

to distribute.

Please bring donations of lunch meat,

cheese, bread, fruit, and packaged snacks as

part of your offering August 11. If you

would like to help make sandwiches, arrive

at church at 4:30 p.m. on August 15. Your

donations of food and time are greatly

appreciated and go a long way in serving The

Night Ministry.

Adult Ed: Haiti

Jeanette Salley, speaker

August 4, 11:00 am, Fellowship Hall

Join us on Sunday, August 4 when we are honored to host Jeanette Salley, sister

of our own Elizabeth Salley and UCC missionary to Haiti. Jeanette will share

about her experiences in Haiti and how she came to be a missionary. Part of her

story will be shared in worship followed by a presentation in Fellowship Hall.

In addition, during the message segment of our service we hope to have some

sharing by our youth on their recent mission trip to Athens, Ohio. Please make

it a point to see how members of your church family are serving God’s family

beyond our borders!

South Africa Mission 2014

Informational meeting

August 4, 8:30 am, Chapel

THE PILGRIM Page 2

This September we will focus on the elephant in the

room: our church financial outlook and our

stewardship. The church has grown in membership and

programs in the past year and a half. The average pledge

is at the highest level in over two decades. We have had

two consecutive years where giving has increased over

7% (that is amazing!) Last year’s giving was up 11% for

the year. Former Finance & Budget Committee chair

Larry Bryant stated that he’d never seen such a jump in

all his years here. This is cause for great optimism. We

are also growing in terms of program activity and Sunday

worship participation. In a day and age when churches

are shrinking, this is GREAT news and a great blessing!

Thanks be to God!!!

Amazing things are happening here. This year, 49

children attended Vacation Bible School; three years ago

we weren’t able to host VBS because we didn’t have

enough children. Our music ministry is spoken of highly

in the community and by other UCC congregations.

Our worship services average 55 more people per

Sunday than 2 years ago. Programs and mission

outreaches are growing. It is not all about numbers, but

numbers do tell a story about the great energy here,

energy that many churches today are praying and hoping

to find.

Monies are still being used from endowment income and

approved transition expense for Music and Youth

Ministries to support the church ministries. Even with a

great 2012, we did not support our budget financially.

We are at a crossroads as a church community. We can

decide to support our ministries and staff and continue

to grow, or we can have healthy discussion and decide

this is beyond us and cut back. What we CANNOT do is

business as usual; and that is having a budget that we are

not supporting and paying for financially.

We have four full-time staff, 2 part-time staff, 3 other

support staff. As in most organizations, this is

approximately 65% of our budget. Office and building

maintenance accounts for another 22%. We are not

overstaffed; in fact, quite the opposite for a church our

size.

Stewardship is part of being a member of the church for

EVERY member. When joining First Congregational

Church one of the questions asked is, “ will you support

this church with your time, your talents, and your treasures in

the ministries and programs and life of this church?,” and

some of you have been giving tremendously.

In past years, our covenant pledge responses have come

in from November to January, and this doesn’t leave

much time to plan and adjust our budget needs to our

contributions. This year, we are going to do our

budgeting process earlier, and therefore, will begin our

covenant pledge drive in September. By November, we

hope to have these numbers in. If there is a discrepancy

between what has been pledged and what we need, we

will share this with the congregation, and adjust our

budgets accordingly. I ask each of you to prayerfully think

about how each of us can contribute and actively support

the life and ministries of the church.

Our budget process will begin with our mission and what

we believe God is leading us to do, and what we

estimate it will cost. We will present this budget to you,

the church, along with some capital needs that need to

be addressed sooner rather than later.

In September, a series of meetings will be held where

everything will be laid on the table and we can have

healthy discussion about our current costs. Are there

places we need to reconsider current funding? Are there

future areas that need more financial support as the

church grows? If we hire an associate pastor how will

we pay them when the transitional funding runs out?

These are questions we need to wrestle with.

I know in entering these discussions there are concerns,

there are questions, and there is a legitimate fear that we

may need to make cuts if we cannot raise the funds

necessary to pay all our expenses. My response: I

believe in this church and its people, and I believe

absolutely in the work and mission God has called us

together as a church to accomplish.

MANY of you have already responded and given

incredibly to this church increasing your pledges by 10-

14%. Thank you!!! You are huge part of our current

success. But, there are many who are not giving, or who

may be able to give more. We need everyone. I believe

that together we can achieve the goals we have as a

church. However, we cannot continue to live on

budgets that are unsustainable.

In the Bible, Jesus’ disciples look at the hungry crowds

after Jesus has been preaching and as Jesus tells them

“you feed them” (mission) they say “But all we have is five

measly loaves and two scrawny fish”. God says, give it to

me, and be amazed by what I will do with them. Have a

generous heart and watch how a generous God moves

and shakes the world we live in! I believe this. I hope

Pastor’s Corner—August 2013

ISSUE 7 Page 3

When I was around 12 years old in Char Wild’s 6th

grade class of hellions at Hillcrest School, my

grandmother Elba, who lived with us for a time, would

always ask upon my return home from school, “Did you

do your best?”

While well-intended, her query always made me a bit

uneasy. Did I do my best? Did I do enough? Or just

enough? Being the rather rowdy, rambunctious brat

that I was (and some things never change), I knew in my

heart the answer.

Even as an adult, this same uneasiness will sometimes

reappear, especially as I look about our congregation. I

see so much meaningful work being done! People

volunteering at a moments notice, devoting time, love

and money to the tasks that keep our church a relevant

force in our community. Am I doing enough? Should I

be doing more? Should I be giving more? Pledging more?

A few weeks ago, Pastor Scott suggested to me a

simple way to look at this. He called it the Three T’s:

time, talent and treasure. Its clarity and simplicity has

helped me to examine the facets of my Christian life.

Time—In our hustle-and-bustle lives of the 21st

century, we seem to move ever faster, and our time

becomes precious - time with our families and loved

ones, time for work at the office, time for chores at

home. Giving time for the work of our faith sometimes

gets lost in the shuffle. Yet our faith calls us to

participate in meaningful work as servants or conduits

of Christ’s love.

Am I spending enough time on my faith work as on

other facets of my life?

Does the time I spend on all my activities reflect

aspects of my faith journey?

Talent—I once asked my wife Pam what she thought

my talents were. She said she’d get back to me!

However, we all know that congregational life is a great

way to use our talents, our gifts from God, to serve and

help others. It also gives us the opportunity to stretch

ourselves in new directions, as being a disciple of Christ

demands.

Am I using God’s gifts in my faith work within the

church and community?

What new gifts have I discovered in the past year?

Treasure—One of the most difficult conversations to

engage in with church members revolves around

money. Yet we must face the fact that faith and our

missions as followers of Christ requires funding. We

must examine our financial future as we face all other

questions of our faith journey.

In the coming months and years, we have many financial

challenges to meet: fund a new associate pastor, pay for

many health and safety items to our facility, fix aging

parts of the building, repair flood items not covered by

insurance, increase mission work and work trips, and

these are just a few. These items alone will probably

surpass $1,000,000 in additional funds needed.

Am I giving of God’s abundance to help pay for the

faith work of the church?

What new gifts could I share?

I humbly ask you to consider your time, talent and

treasure gifts that you currently are engaged in.

Respectfully submitted,

Dan Swick, Church Moderator

Moderator Musings: The Three T’s of Time, Talent & Treasure

you do as well. But in the same sentence while we respond in faith, we will also take seriously how we are

responsible stewards.

And so I ask each of you to give as you are able. At the same time I pledge as your pastor and one of your

leaders to engage us in the tough discussions that work out the hard questions of what we are spending, why we

feel we have these needs, and can we/should we sustain what we have?

Please come to our meetings in September, come to worship as we tackle this together. I believe God has placed

before us some amazing opportunities. We all need to own them if we are to respond with the kind of generosity

and faith that I know exists here within our membership. -Pastor Scott

Pastor’s Corner—August 2013 (continued)

THE PILGRIM Page 4

Message from the Vice Moderator…On Looking Forward

As we approach the second half of the year and begin gearing up for some of the busiest months, it’s a good

time to look in the rearview mirror to note what we’ve accomplished and chart where we’re going. This can be

done at many levels as Christians: individual, church-wide, and with First Congregational ministries. Where is

our roadmap taking us? Are we on the right path or did we diverge? Maybe an alternate path is more realistic.

Do we even have a road map, or are we winging it? What’s wrong with doing what we’ve always done?

Over the summer, our Ministry Coordination Board’s (MCB) Leadership Series has focused on goal setting.

We’ve talked about what makes a good goal and how to measure progress. Nothing like hearing the words

“goals, objectives and measures” to shake things up a little and make some of us nervous. Especially in a church

setting.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing…MCB leaders and ministries are charged with doing what any other

leader must do: create the vision, plan, organize, budget, lead, delegate, and evaluate. Jesus did this too (OK,

maybe not the budget part), and as the ultimate Visionary, used God’s purpose as His motivation. If we use

Jesus as a model for Christian leadership, it becomes a lot easier to look beyond the “easy wins” and

conventional measures of success when we think about where we want our church to go and how to be the

best that we can be. We are empowered, knowing that we (as a church and as individuals) can only grow by

seeking big possibilities, envisioning innovative paths, opening new doors, and taking (reasonable) leaps of faith

alongside of Christ. Whatever metaphor suits us best, it’s our shared faith that keeps us working together for

something greater, beyond the ordinary and into the extraordinary.

There are many approaches to devising goals and objectives and effectively achieving them – models we’ve

looked at this summer and will serve us well as we collaboratively chart our direction for the rest of this year

and into the next. We also know that thanks to God’s guidance, we have the freedom – and the responsibility –

to stretch ourselves and try new things. If we don’t get the results we want or if we fail, we can imagine brilliant

possibilities and create bold measures of success.

Let’s move out of our comfort zone as we head into a new season, rising to challenges that are inspired and

passionate – beyond ourselves and First Congregational walls. Let’s pray as the Psalmist prayed “Lord, lead me to

the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61). Because we all know that a good challenge is what propels us further

and higher.

And when we’re powered by the Holy Spirit, we can expect nothing less.

-Virginia Hopley, Vice Moderator

Fall Program Kickoff!

Sunday, September 8

9:30 a.m. Worship

4:00 p.m. Picnic and Games

We are excited to begin another fall season with Sunday School and Adult Education for all ages! We have

plans for spiritual nurture with worship and music, education and mission, all beginning on Sunday, September

8. We will gather for worship at 9:30 a.m. and the children will begin their Sunday School rotation model

curriculum following the Children’s Message.

Then, instead of having the celebration immediately after worship, we will be hosting our church kickoff picnic

at 4:00 p.m. at the Indian Boundary YMCA, 711 59th Street in Downers Grove. At the picnic, we will have a

CHURCH SOFTBALL GAME so bring your gloves and bats and battitudes! There will be bouncy houses for the

children to expend some energy, and volleyball. Please bring a dish to share! Bring your swimsuit also as we

may have access to the pool.

Hope you can come to celebrate and PLAY with your church family as we kick off a new program year

together.

ISSUE 7

Children’s Ministries and Drama

Page 5

Here’s hoping that everyone had a fun and relaxing summer! Our 2013 Vacation Bible School,

“Everywhere Fun Fair” was a huge success! We had 49 children (surpassing last year’s

enrollment by 14). Pastor Scott, Reverend Moore and Evan Culligan were awesome VBS

characters and the children loved their daily antics! Art projects were made, fun science

projects were experienced, delightful music was sung and silly games were enjoyed. The

wonderful teen counselors brought the Bible to life with their dramatics and kept everyone in line and having

fun. The teaching staff was terrific! A big Thank You to all who made this year’s VBS a winner!

Our summer Sunday school children have been making projects to be good neighbors. We have made a

project for Moore, Oklahoma, plus plants for the residents of Oak Trace, school bags for Walk-In Ministry

children and blankets for P.A.D.S.

“Kick off” Sunday is September 8! New this

year is four permanent teachers for our 1st

– 3rd grade class and four permanent

teachers for our 4th – 6th grade class. We

are still looking for 2 more Sunday school

conductors. We are also still looking for

one more teaching team for the 2 – 3 year

old class and the 4 – K class. If you are

interested in being a Sunday school

conductor, or pre-school teaching team,

p lease contact J an Barker at

jbarker@uccdg.org.

All children must be registered for Sunday

school. You can download a form on our

website at www.uccdg.org or see Jan

Barker for a copy.

Our Junior Fellowship group will meet for

the first time on Sunday, September 29th.

We will be going to play miniature golf!

Junior Fellowship is for grades 4th – 6th and

we meet the last Sunday of each month to

enjoy outings, parties and service projects.

Junior Fellowship participants are

encouraged to bring their friends to our

gatherings.

AND DON’T FORGET . . .

Junior Drama Class begins on Sunday,

September 15 at 10:45 a.m. FUN! FUN!

Looking forward to a terrific fall at UCC!

Jan Barker,

Acting Director of Children’s Ministries

The First Congregational

Learning Center

Preschool and Childcare

Program

Fall is just around the corner! The First Congregational

Learning Center staff members are busy preparing for a

great school year, as we provide the first school

experience for our children. Fall classes begin September 3,

2013. Registration forms for fall are on our website,

www.fclcdg.org, as well as in the church office. Please

contact Sue Larsen, Director, at 630/968-0527 or

suelarsen@uccdg.org.

You can help our numbers grow by purchasing or

sponsoring a yard sign. The message on the sign is clear:

“Play, Learn and Grow…Together” at the First

Congregational Learning Center. Contact Sue or Radika at

630/968-0527 if you are interested.

The First Congregational Learning Center will hold a

garage sale on Friday, August 16 and Saturday,

August 17 from 8:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. and for one

hour after the church service on August 18. Items for sale

will include small pieces of furniture, books, puzzles and

other family-friendly items. Come, look and buy, while

helping the FCLC.

JUST A REMINDER: Kristina’s Café located at 5130 Main

Street will donate 2% of your bill to the FCLC. Just ask

them to put a #1 on your check. Enjoy a great meal and

help the Learning Center grow!

Now is a good time to thank any and all of you who have

supported our program during this past year. From the

Angel Campaign to office sitting to painting to signage and

much more, we thank all of you for your caring and giving

of yourselves.

THE PILGRIM

Page 6

As you are buying school supplies for the new school year, please re-

member the less fortunate. Congre­gational Care Ministry is collecting

school supplies for children of all grades (kindergarten—high school)

for Walk-in Ministry of Hope. Supplies needed are:

Fiskars scissors

Highlighters

Pencil cases/supply holders

Pens/pencils

Wide-ruled spiral note-

books

Pencil sharpeners

Calculators

Backpacks

On Sunday mornings through August, donations can be dropped off in

the “SCHOOL SUPPLIES” crate at the west entrance or during the

week in the church office. Think back to how exciting it was to get

new supplies and be as generous as you can! Thank you!!

First Congregational

Learning Center

Partners with

Indian Boundary YMCA

The YMCA and First Congregational

Learning Center are partnering with each

other. The YMCA has a need for space

for afterschool programs and they have

been given use of rooms 202 and 203 in

the afternoons during the school year.

In exchange, the YMCA is hosting all of

our FCLC children twice a month for

free swimming lessons, twice a month

for their toddler gymnasium, offering

ALL First Congregational members free

access to the Friday Family nights which

are usually a charge per person event.

As part of this partnership we will also

have use of the YMCA facilities as a

church four times per year.

Three-ring binders

Pocket folders

Colored pencils

Crayons

Erasers

Broad tip markers

Glue Sticks

ISSUE 7 Page 7

Treasurer’s Tales

August 2013

Arrangement has been made that allows distribution of financial support to our church’s operating budget

through Wayne Hummer & Assoc. Those of us who are age 70.5 or older and must take an IRA distribution can

donate the distribution (or part of) to meet their financial support (covenant/pledge) to the church. At present,

distributions thusly made are not a part of your taxable income. However, tax laws can change so you should

check with your financial advisor. Contact Larry Bryant at (630) 963-3784 if you want to know how to make such

a distribution from your IRA.

At the end of June, our income from church members still lagged our budgeted income by $26,000. Cash flow is

tight and the bills keep on keeping on. Is your financial commitment to our church up-to-date? Have you made a

commitment? If you can’t, is there any way your church can assist you?

Your ongoing financial support is critical to our well being. Everyone needs to own a portion of the support

required to further our mission. -Larry Bryant, Church Treasurer

“All I Ever Wanted to Ask

In Confirmation But Didn’t”

Discussion Class for All Adults,

Confirmed or Not

Wednesday evenings, 6:30 p.m.

September 11— October 23

This class will explore topics that are often taught in Confirmation class but sometimes only touched on, and will

explore things about our faith and why we practice what we practice that many of us don’t know much about.

Class One—The Bible How did the Bible get put together? Who wrote it? Are there other books that are not in the Bible? Why didn’t

they get in? Who decided? Why do the Catholic and Protestant Bibles have different numbers of books?

Class Two—Sacraments How did the church come to have two sacraments? How is God present in Communion? Why do we baptize

babies? Do I have to be baptized to go to heaven as some believe? Why don’t we dunk ‘em? Can we have Kool

Aid and fries instead of bread and grape juice for communion?

Class Three—The Two Natures of Christ

Who was Jesus? Were there different answers to this question early on? How is Jesus divine and human? Why

was this such a divisive and important discussion in the early church?

Class Four—The Problem of Evil Where did the Devil come from? Is the Devil real? Why does evil exist? Where is God in the face of Evil? Is

God all Good? All Powerful ? All Knowing?

Class Five—The Problem of Suffering

What does Christianity teach about suffering? How is that similar or dissimilar to other faiths.

Class Six—Are there two different Gods in the Old And New Testament? Marcion, Thomas Jefferson and others sure seemed to think so. We’ll take a look at the nature of God in both

and have a healthy discussion.

Please join us! Contact Pastor Scott at 630-968-0358, ext. 227 or pastorscott@uccdg.org with questions.

Living Open and Affirming

August 11, 10:45 a.m., Chapel

As we continue our Open and Affirming journey, our August session will

explore how we can extend an extravagant welcome to people with

cognitive disabilities. Our session will be moderated by Jane Culligan and

our guest speaker will be Megan Lockett. Bring your cup of coffee and a

friend and join us for this informative session.

If you want more information or would like

to volunteer to help with this program,

please contact Linda Schranz at

lsmedia52@aol.com or by phone at 630-852-

5876.

TOPS: Healthy Hearts Chapter

Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m.

Room 502

Join this dedicated group whose mission it is to

support its members as they “take and keep off

pounds sensibly.” Our objective is to

encourage healthy lifestyles through our

weight-management support group.

A private weigh-in is followed by a program on

a variety of topics pertaining to the weight-loss

journey and healthy lifestyle. Meetings provide

members with positive reinforcement and

motivation in adhering to their food and

exercise plans.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Thursday, August 1

10:00–11:00 am, Room 503

Join a delightful group of women as they spend

time each month knitting, praying, & talking. All

are welcome! So far, many prayer shawls have

been delivered. If you know of someone who

would benefit from a shawl or you would like

the group to create a shawl for someone

special please contact the church office. This

ministry continues to be a joy!

THE PILGRIM

Circle IV, Ladies of the Morning Friday, August 23, 9:30 a.m.

Join Circle IV for Stitch and Chat at Anna May Miller’s home

(1026 62nd Place, Downers Grove) at 9:30 a.m. Remember, you

don't have to have anything to stitch. Just come for the chat and

bring a breakfast dish to share. If you have questions, contact

Peggy Gutzke at peggy.gutzke@gmail.com or 630-971-1382. Page 8

Calling All Readers!

Book Club Meets

August 7, 6:30 pm, Chapel

The August meeting will be Wednesday, August 7 at 6:30 pm in

the Chapel, and the book selection is “The Samurai’s Garden” by

Gail Tsukiyama. It does not matter if you have not joined us for

our past meetings – just read the book and come prepared to

discuss. We hope to see you there!

“Grace”

Sermon Series

and

Bible Study

Starts in October

In October we will have a sermon

series on GRACE.

During this time we will also have a

book study using Phillip Yancy’s

What’s So Amazing About Grace?

This will be held Sundays at 11:00 a.m.

in Room 503, Oct. 6— Nov. 17.

Join a Small Group

Bible Study This Fall!

A small group Bible study will be starting this fall with groups of no

more than 8. The topics will be decided and led by group

members. Sign up with availability in the parlor starting the week of August

18. Fore more information, contact Jane Culligan at (630) 432-5704,

jlculligan@gmail.com; or Jan Hibbeln at (630) 728-4843,

janhibbeln@sbcglobal.net. We hope you can join us!

Circle IV, Ladies of the Morning Friday, August 9, 7:00 p.m.

Join Circle IV for dinner at a local restaurant (to be determined).

Please contact Peggy Gutzke at 630-971-1382 or peg-

gy.gutzke@gmail.com for details.

Women’s Fellowship in August

Circle IV, Ladies of the Morning

Friday, August 2, 9:30 a.m.

Join Circle IV for Stitch and Chat on Jan’s porch (1505 Gilbert,

DG). Remember, you don't have to have anything to stitch. Just

come for the chat and bring a breakfast dish to share. Any

questions, please contact Peggy Gutzke at 630-971-1382 or

peggy.gutzke@gmail.com.

ISSUE 7

Church Garage Sale!

Saturday, September 21

Don’t forget to save new/used items to donate to the garage sale. The sale is one of the major money

makers for our church, and we need your help. The sale will be held on Saturday, September 21, and

we will be accepting donations the previous week. If you have items that have to get out of the house

before that time, we have storage space at Peace Memorial Manor. To make arrangements for storage, or if

you would like to serve on the committee, contact Gail Clark at 630-960-1731 or gclark214@comcast.net.

Thanks for your support again this year!

Page 9

Attention: Ushers

I will begin working on the

next Usher Schedule which

will cover the next six months

(October thru March) in the

next week. If you are

currently an Usher, I will

continue to keep you on the

Usher Schedule for this next

time period unless I hear from

you differently. If you would

like to join our Usher Team,

please let me know and I will

add you to our group.

Jim Hallman,

Senior Head Usher

630-305-9806

jjh93@comcast.net

FCC Bridge Group

Our Bridge group is seeking additional/new mem-

bers. Each couple plays once a month, October

through May, with another couple at a date and

time of their choice.

Consider joining us for an informal, fun chance to

get better acquainted with church members.

Questions can be sent to Bobmarkn@aol.com.

More details will be available in the next issue of

The Pilgrim. -Bob and Marilyn Katrein, Co-chairs

Make A Difference With Manna

Manna is the easiest fundraiser around. All YOU need to do is purchase gift cards for your everyday spending and the church profits. The church purchases gift cards at a discounted rate and sell them to you at face value.

Thanks to all of you who have purchased manna in the past. Please visit

the manna table in fellowship hall after worship. If you have any

questions, please feel free to call Beverly Binder at 630-971-8362.

Honor Flight Chicago

Recruiting WWII Veterans

For A Day of Honor!

Join your fellow Chicagoland WWII veterans for an

unforgettable day of honor in Washington DC. See

your memorial . . . a tribute to all who served, and to

those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Meet other

Chicago area WWII veterans and share your

experiences. See Washington DC in a way you never

imagined – with honor, respect and dignity.

Join Honor Flight Chicago at no cost to you. Visit

www.honorflightchicago.org, or call 773-227-VETS

(8387).

Marilyn Jelinek and Stan Steed would like to thank Ron Moravec for his help

with the July 23 Blood Drive. Pat Lockett's delicious home-baked cookies

were enjoyed by everyone. Many thanks to the following "make a

difference" participants: Ralph Anderson, Theresa Arnold, Paul Bertram, Laurel

Bowen, Jane Callahan, Bob Carter, Len Clark, Sandy Gales, Scott Given, Arthur

Gutzke, Dirk Gutzke, Edward Handtmann, Kathy Handtmann, Michael

Handtmann, Eugine Lavin, Jeffrey Mack, Kathy McHugh, Scott Oberle, Ruth

Popelar, William Popelar, Eric Spruth, Linda Steed, Joan Stockmal, Laurie Tsukuno,

Dave Williams Our next Blood Drive will be October 22. Mark your

calendar! Plan ahead! Blood can be donated every 8 weeks. This is an

important "make a difference" out-reach program.

Blood Drive Thanks

THE PILGRIM Page 10

Among Our Church Family

Remember our friends

who were hospitalized:

Judy Dedina Betty Cheever

Jane Culligan Julie Burke

Cheryl Harris Jordan Petrovich

Josh Clark

Baptisms:

Rudolph James Maley, son of Michael and Annika (Hosni) Maley,

was baptized on June 9.

Roxanne RoseMarie Wierig, daughter of Kevin and Tonimarie

(Barnes) Wierig, was baptized on June 30.

Lucas Daniel Tumpach, son of Joseph and Klaudia Tumpach, was

baptized on July 14.

Shenandoah Pamela Lovell, daughter of Andy Lovell and Melissa

Goodemote, was baptized on July 21 along with her mother

Melissa.

Olivia Marie Gilbert, daughter of Steve and Brittany Gilbert, was

baptized on July 28.

Blake Louis Buckholtz, son of Jason and Casey Buckholtz, was

baptized on July 28.

Child Dedications:

Ray and Asprey Curran, children of Scott and Amy Curran, were

dedicated on June 16.

We are saddened to share with you:

The death of long-time member Francis Glenn Connick on June 20.

A memorial service will be held in our sanctuary on Saturday,

August 24 at 2:00 p.m. We keep Trudi and the family and prayer

and wish them God’s comfort and peace.

A memorial service was held in our Chapel on June 8 for Robert

M. Warhus, who died on February 2. Roberts remains were buried

in our memorial garden by Margaret’s.

Congratulations to:

Katie Monahan and David Soria, who were married in our

sanctuary on July 5.

Rick and Genevieve Franz, who renewed their wedding vows in

our Sanctuary on July 27.

Thank yous:

A thank you was received from People’s Resource Center for

donations from our Mission Eggs.

Thanks to all of you who encouraged me through your prayers and

cards to get well during my week in the hospital in April. They

must have worked because I feel much better now! I especially

thank the boys and girls of the First Congregational Learning

Center. In Christ, Stan Steed

Making Lemonade

out of (waterlogged)

Lemons!

(... or, what the heck is going on

at Two Way Street???) The floodwaters which ravaged

Chicagoland and our church last April

did not spare the Two Way Street

Coffee House. We incurred significant

damage to the coffee house and

surrounding areas of our building. The

good news is that it was mostly

insured, and that nothing irreplaceable

was lost.

However, our stage, floor, some walls

and doors, refrigerator, kitchen

cabinets and some other things

were damaged beyond repair. Floors

in the hallway and Mayflower Room

(our performer dressing room) were

also destroyed. But, our sound system,

piano, and artwork were all saved! We are taking advantage of the

reconstruction process to make some

improvements. Our stage, kitchen and

all floors are being upgraded. The

heating system is being improved,

and lighting systems for the stage and

kitchen are being replaced. Bathrooms

and performer dressing rooms are

being refreshed.

We are immensely grateful to project

manager Dave Williams, Pastor Scott,

custodian Carl Lorek, Laura Lithio, and

our church members for all you are

doing for us, and for the confidence

and support you have shown. The

Chapel has become our temporary

Two Way Street since April, and we

haven't missed a single one of our

35+ monthly events!

We're also indebted to the performers,

audiences, our staff volunteers, and

others in our music community who

have adapted so graciously to the

temporary inconveniences we've faced. But, we're almost done! We hope to be returning to our upgraded space by mid-August. Stay tuned... we'll have a

celebration!

ISSUE 7 Page 11

1047 Curtiss Street

Downers Grove, IL 60515

Phone: 630-968-0358

Fax: 630-968-7568

E-mail: office@uccdg.org

www.uccdg.org

Twitter@http://www.twitter.com/uccdg

Facebook @ http://facebook.com/uccdg

Nurtur ing the Sp ir i t•Engag ing the Mind

Walk ing the journey• Serv ing our ne ighbor

Sunday worship at

9:30 am

Everyone is welcome!

First Congregational

United Church of Christ

Downers Grove, Illinois

Our Church Staff

The Rev. Scott Oberle, Senior Minister

Cathy Sanders, Minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation

Jim Molina, Minister of Music and Media

Jan Barker, Acting Director of Children’s Ministries

Maria Carini, Assistant to the Minister of Music

Laura Lithio, Administrative Secretary

Linda Vytlacil, Bookkeeper

Carl Lorek, Custodian/Maintenance Supervisor

Sue Larsen, Director, First Congregational Learning Center

Radika Jungwirth, Administrative Assistant, First Congregational Learning Center

Bill Hammack, AV Specialist

Dave Humphreys, Director, Two Way Street Coffee House

Larry Bryant, Treasurer

August 2013

The Pilgrim