First Congregational Church
United Church of Christ

FOLK MUSIC WORSHIP SERVICE
On April 27 the FCC sanctuary will resonate once again with the rhythms of guitars, banjos, harmonicas, tambourines, and voices lifted in simple yet profound melodies as we celebrate worship with the sounds of folk music. Performers will include the Fox River Trio, John Kauffman and John Schlomann, and others from the church. If you have a special song you would like to sing, contact Dr. Donehoo. If you would be willing to be part of an ensemble of folk singers please contact Steve Stauffacher at 847-888-2800, or just call the church office. (There will likely be only one rehearsal prior to the 27th) Ask anyone who attended previous services and they will tell you this promises to be a “foot-stomping” good time. Bring a friend!

ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Feed your body, mind, and spirit each Sunday morning at 9:15. Breakfast is served each week, and then there are these opportunities for growing in your faith. Childcare is available.
In-depth Bible Study
(Each Sunday) – We are pressing ever closer to the dénouement of Mark’s Gospel. Come learn why the portrayal of the disciples in Mark’s account should give us all some encouragement. No biblical expertise necessary.
Stepping Stones (April 13) — This month’s subject is “Depression During and After Pregnancy.” Mary Hartwig will discuss post-partum depression, its causes, prevention, and how spouses and family members can help.
Controversial Conversations with Carl (April 27) – This month’s topic will be the “economic stimulus pack-age” that Washington has proposed as a way to try and stem the current tide of financial woes. Bring your ideas for a lively discussion. Carl suggested to last month’s group that they might want to bring their own economic stimulus to class. (Every little bit helps with the renovation effort.)

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
Jennifer Sobolak
Jennifer was born and raised in Michigan and was educated at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.  Currently she is employed by as a merchandiser in the marketing department of the Coach company.  Her six-year-old son, Benjamin, keeps her busy, but when she has the time she enjoys restoring the English Tudor home she recently moved into on Elgin’s east side. 

Deborah Treacy
Deborah is the daughter of the late Ashley and Mary Jane Arnold of Elgin and First Congregational Church.  She was baptized and confirmed at FCC and attended McKinley, Larsen, and Elgin High schools.  She graduated from Drake University in 1972 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  Deborah is presently employed part-time by Comfort Keepers, arranging for meals, house keeping, transportation, and other needs her predominantly elderly clients have.  Along with her husband, Brian, she has two children: Shane (28), and Brittany (21) – who will be married at FCC this summer).  Deborah enjoys cross stitching, card making, reading fiction, and volunteering in a variety of organizations around town. 

The Ministry of Worship and Hospitality worked overtime during the month of March to prepare our sanctuary for worship and to set-up our coffee hours.  Thank you to all the members of this ministry for their time and dedication.  

Easter Breakfast Thank YOU!
A BIG thank you to all those who prepared food and helped serve the breakfast for Easter Sunday.  We know that a lot of love and hard work went into making this such a welcoming gathering.   It was delicious and enjoyed by all.
 

Dorothy Schock spent more than a week at Sherman Hospital suffering from pneumonia and other problems.  She is home now.  

Marjorie Bye fell and broke her femur.  She is recuperating well at home.  
Gail Yauch had outpatient surgery on February 27.  He is home and doing well.  

Kathy Turnquist was in the hospital with pneumonia but is now home recuperating.  Her mother, Dorothy Larsen, also spent time in the hospital but is also home now.

Laura McMinn has been struggling with severe headaches.  Her doctor has been trying to find the cause of the problem.

Matt Gerber was recently diagnosed with an irregular heart beat.  He is going through tests to determine the best treatment.

Pat Lindquist recently hurt her knee and will be having surgery in the near future.

Eunice Stark, Brian Stark’s, mother had hip surgery on Tuesday, March 25th.  She is recuperating at Sherman Hospital.

Dale Ells had knee replacement surgery at Delnor Hospital February 26.  He is now home after recuperating at Rosewood Care Center.

Betty Ells spent a day at Northwestern Memorial during March.  She is now home.

Kruz Harvey Peterson was born March 17 to Ethan and Jodi Peterson and big brother Kolten.  

Audrey Camille Tuite was born March 14 to parents Paul and Marilee Tuite and grandparents Mark and Mary Hartwig.

Rowena Swan passed away on February 29.  A memorial service, lead by pastors Donehoo and Bucher, was held at FCC on March 15.  

Ron Carlson’s father died on March 3.  Funeral services were held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  

Damaris, women's fellowship group will be dining out at Thursday, April 24th at 6:30p.m.  We will meet at Jurin Japanese Restaurant, 588 Randall Rd. South Elgin.  This is an informal group.  We would love to have you join us for dinner and conversation.  If you have any questions about this group please contact Lois.

It's not too early to begin thinking about Summer Church Camp. The Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ has two camping facilities. Pilgrim Park is located in Princeton, Illinois in the beautiful Illinois River valley area -- not too far from Starved Rock. Tower Hill is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan in Sawyer, Michigan. Each camp is about a two hour drive from Elgin. Camps are offered throughout the summer for all age groups. Both camps offer a unique opportunity for children and adults to learn more about their faith as they play and learn with other campers. Camps are offered for children and youth age 5 through high school. There are also camps for first-time campers that are only 2 night - 3 day camps called Tenderfoot. In addition to camps for children, there are also camps for Grandparents and Grandchildren and also for Senior Adults. First Congregational offers a camp scholarship program to any camper attending one of our United Church of Christ camps. We will pay up to 2 of the camp cost (not to exceed $100). Please stop by Lois's office and pick up a camp brochure. If you'd like to know more about our camps please feel free to talk to one of our youth who have attended camp B Anna Mitchell, Alessandra Castillo, Diana Castillo, and Kyle Stauffacher

Sunday School's One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
The Sunday School children received special banks in February for One Great Hour of Sharing. These banks should be returned on Sunday, March 30th. We hope that they are filled to the brim. One Great Hour of Sharing is a disaster relief offering. Whenever and wherever there is a need OGHS money goes to help with the problem both here in the U.S. and world-wide.

Frog Friday, is over for this school year.  We have found that April begins the busy season of baseball and soccer and school programs.  We will resume our meetings in the fall.

Our church is pleased to be able to offer Moral Obligation Scholarship Loans to church members who are taking college classes.  These are interest free loans for any age student.  Students are allowed to take out a loan of up to $500 per semester.  These loans are then repaid to the church after graduation (or as soon as you stop taking classes).  This repayment allows funds to be available for future students.  With the high cost of education, this loan may not pay for a class, but it may help to cover book costs.  For more detailed information and requirements please contact Lois or Pat Calvin.
 
 

You should have received a letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago about our summer trip to the National Youth Event of the United Church of Christ, July 24th - 28th in Knoxville, TN.  If you haven’t  receive information please let Lois know as soon as possible so we can send you a registration packet.   We are very excited about this event and hope that you are planning to participate.  We need your registration by April 20th so that we can order our airline tickets. Registrations and deposits should go to Cathy Jurgens.   If you have any questions please contact Lois.

Our trip to the Wilderness Lodge is just around the corner. We will be meeting at church on Saturday morning April 12th between 8:45a.m. and 9:00a.m. to leave for Wisconsin Dells. Don't forget to bring money for lunch on Saturday and lunch on Sunday. The rest of the meals are included in your registration fee. We plan to arrive home mid-afternoon on Sunday, April 13th. We will call when we are about one hour from home so that parents can be at the church for pick-up. We have had a couple of cancellations so let us know if have not registered but would be interested in going.

You've asked for it and so here it is. Fifth and sixth graders are invited to a evening of fun on Friday night, April 18th. We will gather at church at 6:30 p.m. for a scavenger hunt all over Elgin. Teams (driven by adult chaperones) will compete in this fun activity. We will conclude our evening with an ice cream treat at Colonial Restaurant (on McLean Blvd). Bring money for your ice cream treat. Please sign up for this activity by emailing adamtmccoy@comcast.net

April 06    Chris Leberecht
        Brad Rantz

April 13    Taylor Stark
        Emerson Lewis

April 20    Lauren Powers
        Drew Rantz

April 27    Cassidy Sell
        Emilie Kottmeier

Lauren Powers, Cassidy Sell, Ben Brictson, Brad Rantz, Phillip Brictson & Cameron Leberecht.

Cherub and Joyful Noise Choir Update
Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen, indeed! I hope you had a wonderful Lenten season ending with the joyous resurrection of our Lord. I am continually amazed at the miracles of God's love and constant dedication to our lives. He never gives up on us!

Our schedule for this spring is a little inconsistent due to my work schedule. Below is our schedule for April and May. I realize confirmation is on the 11th (along with Mother's Day) but we will still have rehearsal. May 18 is our final sing at the Capital Campaign kick off service.

April 06 NO CHOIR
April 13 9 am rehearsal
April 20 9am rehearsal/sing at 10:15 service
April 27 NO CHOIR
May 04 NO CHOIR
May 11 9 am rehearsal
May18 8am rehearsal/FINAL sing at 10:15 service.

It would be fun to have a potluck lunch on May 25. Let me know if you're interested and I'll set up the details.

This year, my first, has been experimental and I plan on coming back next fall. So far, it looks like Sundays work best for most people. It's great that a few of our parents are going to Adult Formation during choir time. What a great opportunity to study the Word and also have your kids make a joyful noise! Should you have any questions, please email me at gesegnet18@gmail.com.

See you at church!
Letty Jocius

The task of delivering Meals on Wheels last month was pretty daunting.  It rained really hard, then snowed, then froze, then snowed again and again and again.  The hearty souls who braved the elements and did such good work were:

St. Joseph Hospital
    Carl and Mary Ellen Flaks,
Janet Aldred, Evelyn Johnson,
Marilyn and Hank Speer, Gail Yauch, and Chuck and Dolores Zimmerman

Sherman Hospital
    Mitch and Mary Ellen Barbezat,
    Beth Mitchell, Bonnie Turk, and
    Chuck and Dolores Zimmerman
 
Many thanks to these volunteers.  If you would like to take part in this easy, interesting project please call Dolores Zimmerman at 847/931-1606.  The weather should be a whole lot better in May, our next session.

COMMITMENT SUNDAY - MAY 18th
Exciting and challenging are the best words to describe our Transforming The Church ~Brick by Brick Fund Appeal.  The appeal is exciting because we are raising the funds needed to complete our building renovation plans.  To accomplish this and meet our financial goal, members will be challenged to significantly increase their financial giving to First Congregation Church.

Our Appeal Leadership Team has planned for the fund appeal.  They have recruited volunteers, planned our Appeal Gathering for Sunday, April 20th after the worship service and begun communicating about our special building fund appeal.  Our Transforming The Church ~ Brick By Brick Fund Appeal is well underway.  

Soon every member of our church family will be asked to make a financial commitment to help us reach our goal.  As you begin to pray, think, and talk about your financial commitment to the building fund, please reflect on these words from Winston Churchill, AWe make a living by what we get, but a life by what we give.

When you give money to the church, it goes into one of two accounts. Money from pledges, reduction of debt, and loose offering goes into our operating account. This account is used to fund the day-to-day operation of our church. The second account is called special reserves. This is a holding account where money that is collected from the many activities of our church is deposited. This would include money for the renovation, youth groups, mission trips, coffee hour, and many other activities If you write a check that covers more than one activity, it is hard to separate it into the appropriate accounts. It would be of help when making a contribution to the church, if you could write separate checks for each of the activities to which you are contributing. This would be greatly appreciated.
Dolores and Larry

Thanks to my Church Family,

I’ve truly been blessed with all the cards, calls, dinners, gifts, and visits I received.  Most of all I want to thank you for your prayers, I couldn’t have gotten this far without them.

God Bless,
Sandy Dalton

The Mission Grants Committee would like to share part of a thank you that was recently received from the U-46 Newcomers Program.  This program operates at Clinton and Hanover Countryside Elementary Schools.  It is designed to work with children who are new to the country and come from families who lack resources.  Our grant is enabling the program to give children experiences in U.S. culture that will help them and their families become integrated and learn English more quickly.  The program takes the children on a wide range of field trips to cultural venues, everything from banks and retail stores to museums.  Curriculum and language learning are built around the field experiences.  The students are very appreciative of the program.  Their teachers state:

“When we were putting together our ambitious field trip plan last summer, we had no idea where the money would come from to pay for the buses, but we went ahead and planned the trips and ordered the buses trusting that if we prepared the field, God would send the rain.”

“We are so grateful for you heart, and that you have put your treasures where your heart is.  It is making a world of difference to the immigrant families we serve.”

Two vacancies exist on the Mission Grants Committee.  These are for a 3 year term that runs from July 2008 thru June 2011.  The Mission Grants Committee meets once in May to pick themes for the coming year.  It also meets in November-January to review applications, determine eligibility, and allocate monies.  This cycle usually requires 3-5 meetings ending before the annual meeting.  Interested persons should submit their names to the Church Moderator before the June council meeting when the vacancies will be filled.  Further questions can be directed to Carl Flaks, Committee Chair.

DEPRESSION DURING AND AFTER PREGNANCY
So what about those “baby blues?”  (I’m not referring to an eye color!)  Is this the same as Postpartum Depression?  What’s the difference?  What causes it?  Can it be prevented?  How can spouses/partners help?  How can family members be supportive?

Please join us for this discussion, which will be lead by Mary Hartwig.  Mary has experience working with “At Risk” mothers in a program called “Healthy Families.”

Stepping Stones is open to anyone. This particular session may be of interest to new mothers within the past year (not just first time) and their family members, or anyone who is interested in the topic.

As always, Stepping Stones meets in the library on the second Sunday of the month from 9:15 – 10:00 am.  Friends and family from the community are always welcome to join us.  If you have any questions you can contact Rev. Pat Lindquist or Mary Hartwig.

Anyone interested in forming a photography group in our church, see Ron Whetstone at the back table during coffee hour on March 20, 2008

Well, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is that we will not be starting the ebay auction at this time. Due to the expense involved in setting it up and the tight economy, our advisers indicate we would get little for the items people said they would offer to us. There is still a market for fine jewelry and we do have someone who would sell it for us, so if you have an item of fine jewelry to sell, please let us know. The good news is that we WILL be having a garage sale here in Elgin in early June. Watch this space for details.

We will be starting a calendar raffle in April. Each Sunday in 2009 we will draw a number of a calendar purchased and that person will win $25. There are two special drawings during the year. On Easter the winner will receive $50 and on Christmas day the winner will receive $25. We will sell the 2009 calendars for $25 and only 500 are being printed. The winning ticket always returns to the drawing bin so a ticket could win multiple times. Plan now to purchase these for gifts and sell them to friends and coworkers.

Also in April, we will be selling hanging baskets and bedding plants. We will have a different distributor than last year and the plants should be lovely. All items will be available around Mothers' Day. All orders must be received in April to be included in our order.

By the time you read this you will have seen the bulletin inserts about the FireSide Dinner Theater. Saturday July 12 will find a group journeying to Fort Atkinson, WI to enjoy the play The Rock and The Rabbi (the Biblical story of Peter and Jesus) after experiencing a gourmet 3 course dinner. Tickets are $98 each and include the motor coach ride to and from FireSide Theater, the meal, and the matinee. Please join us!

Don't forget, Danny's Pizza Day is the 3rd Tuesday of each month!  They have dinners (individual and family-size), sandwiches, pasta, and of  course their delicious pizza.  When you call (847-742-5400) between 11:00 am – 11:00 pm just mention First Congregational Church and the church will receive a percentage of your order total.  The proceeds will benefit the renovation.  

4-06    Paul and Tracy Grote
4-13    Pat Henrys
4-20    Tom Powell
4-27    Charlie and Lauren Rantz

4-06    Steve & Janet Aldred
4-13    Patrick & Heather Arnold
4-20    Ron & Janet Banwart
4-27    Mich & Mary Barbezat

4-06    Brian Stark
4-13    Jennifer Green
4-20    Jim Schock
4-27    Shirley May Byrnes