the january 2012 church mouse
DESCRIPTION
Newsletter for the Community Congregational Church of ElburnTRANSCRIPT
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
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.
January 2012 Community Congregational Church page 3
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.
January 2012 Community Congregational Church page 4
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 2012 Community Congregational Church page 6
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
11:30 a.m. Fellowship
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
January 15 ~ Second Sunday after Epiphany 9:00 a.m. Sunday School
9:20 a.m. Bible Study
10:30 a.m. Worship
11:30 a.m. Fellowship—Annual Meeting
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
January 22 ~ Third Sunday after Epiphany 9:00 a.m. Sunday School
9:20 a.m. Bible Study
10:30 a.m. Worship
11:30 a.m. Fellowship
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
January 29 ~ Fourth Sunday after Epiphany 9:00 a.m. Sunday School
9:20 a.m. Bible Study
10:30 a.m. Worship; Reverse Offering
11:30 a.m. Linger Longer Potluck
5:00 p.m. Hope Anglican Worship Service
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