Church Life
TELL US YOUR FAVORITE HYMNDo you have a favorite hymn? Or two? Or three? We want to sing as many of them as possible on Summer Sundays. Write the title(s) or number(s) from the hymnal on the insert in Weekly Window, or email Paris (
paris@fcc-elgin.org) and Paris, Lois, and Jon will try to incorporate as many as possible into worship over the summer.
NEW MEMBER CLASSIf you are interested in joining First Congregational Church, Paris and Lois would like to meet with you after the 10:15 worship service on June 7 in the library. At this session you will get to know the pastors, meet the staff, and learn about FCC ministries and programs. Instead of 2 one-hour sessions, there will be only 1 two-hour session so we will not interfere with the church-wide picnic on the 14th. Lunch will be provided. Child care will be provided if you let us know you need it. New members will be received on June 21st.
PARTNERS IN PAGESHave you picked out your summer reading yet? Well, add a book to your list that we hope everybody at FCC will read some time during the hot weather months. Power Surge by Michael Foss contains powerful, practical, and provocative ideas for how FCC can “do church” in these times. Patterned after the “One City One Book” concept adopted by towns all over the country, “Partners in Pages” offers us the chance to read Power Surge and then discuss its implications for our life together. On July 26 or August 23 (or both days, if you like) you are invited to join a discussion of Foss’ book at 9:15 and/or after the 10:15 service. Child care will be available for all discussion times. Please read the book and plan on coming to one of the discussions. Your insights are crucial! Copies of Power Surge are available for $12, or if money is tight, you can get one for free. To reserve a copy fill out the sign-up sheet in Weekly Window, or
click here, or just call the church office (847-741-4045).
WEEKLY WINDOW
Because summer months tend to be a bit more relaxed around FCC, Weekly Window will be taking a couple of months off. The last edition will be in your bulletin on June 7. Any information you need to share with the congregation can be included on the announcements page, or included as an insert. The deadline for submission to the bulletin will remain the same: Wednesday at noon. Weekly Window will resume in mid-August. Let’s all give a huge THANK YOU to Carole Kilmanas for all her hard work on Weekly Window!
SPIRITUALITY OF FINANCESo many topics, so little time! We continue to explore this vast area with supportive and infor-mative discussion. Last month we began talking about aspects of budgeting and had copies of tips and sample budgets. Did you know that you can
drastically reduce your credit card interest rate if you lose your job? And that’s just one of the things we discussed!
For our June gathering we’re going to be discussing ways to reduce utility bills. Our next meeting will be June 7th during Fellowship Hour. We’ll be meeting in the junior high room on the 2nd floor of the education wing.
If you have questions, please call Mark or Mary Hartwig at 847-608-1731. We hope that you’ll join us!
Orval Volkening was released from St. Joseph Hospital after quite an extended stay. He is recuperating at home.
Lois Robinson had surgery at Sherman Hospital on May 11. She is home and recuperating well.
Chase Sund was honored on May 4 by the Rotary Club of Elgin for four years of straight As in high school. Way to go!
Vivian Rose and Eliana Christine Flaks were born on April 30 to parents Jason and Chrissa Flaks and grandparents
Carl and Mary Ellen Flaks.
Madison Elizabeth Knight was born on April 30 to parents Kyle and Susan Knight and grandparents
Jonathan and Diane Knight.
SUNDAY SCHOOLOur Sunday School classes ended on May 17th. We had a wonderful year. A BIG thank you to our dedicated teaching staff! We recognized our Sunday School teachers on Sunday, May 17th during worship. Thank you to these people who were a part of our educational ministry this year:
Teachers: Meg Pfister, Deb Treacy, Jennifer Sobolak, Evelyn Johnson, Shannon Lile, Sue Ruf, Kathleen Mau, Beth Mitchell, Michael Blackwood, Deb Leberecht, Deb Sell, Lori Carrara, Laura McMinn, Brian Stark, Linda Taylor
Ministry of Christian Education: Colleen Stauffacher, Wendy Hargrave, Jennifer Swan, JoAnn Brictson, Krista Leith
FROG Friday: Cathy Jurgens, Jim Lewis, Helen McClure, Carol Olson, Adam McCoy, Nick Kemmler, Emerson Lewis, Alex Halfpenny, Phil Brictson, and Paris Donehoo
Child Care Nursery: Stacie Widder, Mary Taylor, Nick Kemmler, and Anna Mitchell.
GRADUATE RECOGNITIONWe will be recognizing graduates on June 7th during our 10:15 worship service. Please call the church office and let us know if you have a high school, junior college, technical school, college, or advanced degree graduate in your family.
High SchoolAlessandra Castillo - Larkin High School
Martina Preradovic - Elgin High School
Chase Sund – Larkin High School
Mike Stackowiak – Elgin High School
Mary Taylor – Elgin High School
CollegeErin Powell - Bachelor’s Degree from Albion College
Amanda Boan – Bachelor’s Degree from
Eastern Illinois University
Michael Blackwood – Master’s Degree
Thank you! Thank YOU! THANK YOU!! for your support of our mission trip Our final mission trip luncheon and silent auction brought in more than $2,100.00 for our mission trip. The silent auction made almost $1,900.00. We thank everyone who donated items, and to all who shopped at the auction.
ALL CHURCH POOL PARTYWe’ve rented out the Wing Park pool for Thursday night, June 25th, 8pm – 10pm. We did this last year and had a great time! We hope that even more people will take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy the pool and waterpark area. Invite your neighbors and friends to join the fun. The cost is $5 per person. Mark your calendar now so you can plan to join the fun.
CHURCH CAMPThe 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. Church Camp provides an opportunity for campers to learn more about God’s amazing creation while enjoying the beauty of these camp settings. Whether the camper is attending for the first time, or is returning for the tenth time they will discover that camp is a place where everyone is accepted in a spiritually enriching, caring and nurturing environment. Two and three day camps are available for the first time camper who is as young as kindergarten age. There are also great specialty camps – like sports camp, horseback riding camp, MADD (Music and Dance and Drama) Camp, Grandparents and Me camp, Habitat Volunteer Camp and… For registration materials, or to find out more information, please see Lois for a brochure. First Congregational Church does have a scholarship fund that provides Camperships up to ½ the cost with a maximum of $100 per person. If you’d like to know more about our camps please feel free to talk to one of our youth who have attended camp Anna Mitchell, Alessandra Castillo, Diana Castillo, and Kyle Stauffacher
Damaris women’s fellowship group will be dining out at Francesca’s Campagna, 127 W. Main, W. Dundee Thursday, June 18th at 6:30p.m. Please note it is a week earlier this month because of Vacation Bible School. 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.
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.
Vacation Bible School June 21st – June 25thPreparations are underway for an exciting adventure with VBS this summer. We will be holding VBS at Wing Park this year instead of Trout Park. We will be at shelter #1 (the one that is closest to the playground).
A big change will be that VBS is going to be held during the evening. We will meet from 6pm – 8pm. We hope that this will make it more convenient for working parents to get their children to VBS. Mark your calendars now. We will begin on Sunday evening June 21st (Father’s Day) and meet through Thursday evening, June 25th. We will conclude our week with a celebration pool party at the Wing Park pool from 8:00 -10:00 pm on Thursday, June 25th. Although we would like to have children participate in the whole event we hope that you will still sign your child up if you have a conflict with one of the dates.
Our theme for the week will be Camp E.D.G.E (Experience and Discover God everywhere)! We’ll spend the week trekking to discover more about God. This program has something to offer all ages. Everyone will enjoy hearing Bible stories, playing games, singing those catchy songs, and making crafts. The older children will enjoy their camp-like experience which will include time for nature study, hikes, games and storytelling. Please make this week a priority for your family. So spread the word. Tell your friends that you want them to join you for a week at Camp E.D.G.E. this summer.
Of course we always need more volunteers so let Lois know if you are available to help with any aspect of the program. If you are interested in helping please join us for our next planning meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:00pm in the conference room.
Mission Trip July 2 – July 12thWe have 27 youth and adults signed up to join us in doing mission work in Washington, DC during the week of July 2nd – July 12th. We will be leaving the evening of July 2nd by Amtrak train and arriving in Washington, DC on July 3rd. We have a Capitol tour planned for the 4th of July and are still trying to confirm tickets for a White House Tour. Our work week will begin on Monday, July 5th. We will be working in various soup kettles, homeless shelters, day care facilities, food pantries and drop-in centers that serve the homeless community throughout our nation’s capital. During our free time we will be taking in all the sites and activities available.
Upcoming events for Mission Trip Participants
Our next mission trip meeting and group building session will be held on Wednesday evening June 17th at 6p.m. We will provide the dinner. This is a required event for all those who are going on the trip. Please contact Lois or Cathy Jurgens if you have any questions.
Mission Trip participants will be commissioned during the 10:15 worship service on
Sunday, June 28th. Please plan to be in worship that day
A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who have so readily delivered Meals to Elgin shut-ins so far this year:
Jeanne and Larry Rothlisberger,
Chuck and Dolores Zimmerman,
Carl and Mary Ellen Flaks,
Hank and Marilyn Speer,
Ron and Mary Lou Whetstone,
Susan and Lynn Humbracht,
David and Dolores Nelson,
Carol Kilmanas, and Gail Yauch.
Your participation in this program is really appreciated.
The June schedule is Mich and Mary Barbezat on the 4th, 11th, and 18th. Bonnie Turk and Chuck Zimmerman are scheduled for the 25th.
Dolores Zimmerman
Shirley Kerr Hokanson's family would like to thank the Funeral & Reception Committee members for the wonderful luncheon they hosted on Sunday, April 26th after Shirley's memorial service. The tables looked lovely, the flower centerpieces were so special, and every-one enjoyed the food and fellowship more than words can express. What a wonderful expression of love and concern we all felt from you all. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. God bless each and everyone of you for all your hard work and time.
Mery Krause
Kevin and Letty Jocius for their kindness and generosity. They have donated a brand new computer to the church for my use in the office. I really appreciate their thoughtfulness. The new computer has been installed and is working great.
Thanks again to you both.
Pat Calvin
I was very moved with my choir members deep concerns and the church’s prayers during my recent visit to the hospital.
John R. Diehl
Thank you for your cards, calls, and prayers. I am home and still need a lot of recovery after 8 weeks in the hospital.
Orval Volkening
It’s summer again, a time when many of our regular soup kettle volunteers are not able to help out. What does that mean for all of you at FCC? That means there are plenty of opportunities for you all to join in the fun of this ministry! I need a minimum of 16 volunteers over the June, July, August timeframe. Most shifts are from 4-6 pm, but we do have some openings in the 5-7 pm time frame.
Did you know that every 5th Wednesday is FCC night? That only occurs 4 times a year, but we REALLY need your help. This summer July 29 is a 5th Wednesday. If you or your family are available, PLEASE call and volunteer.
Last year I made a challenge to EVERY member of our church to find a 2 hour shift to volunteer just once during the course of the year. While we have had a fair turnout, there are many of you who have not stepped forward, or who contacted me once the schedule was full. Now is the time to get on the schedule because scheduling only occurs 3 times per year – in May for the summer, in August for September thru January, and in January for February thru May.
By volunteering, you may just find that the hungry in Elgin are not that scary, that they are appreciative of all we do for them, and quite honestly, not so different from most of us. I think you will leave humbled, thankful for all your blessings, and feeling like you really made a difference in our community.
To volunteer, please call Janet Aldred at 630-715-7494 or email
Janet@jqdesigns.com.
6-03 Alyssa Hargrave
6-04 Diane Menke
6-07 Keaton Fahnestock
6-07 Alyssa Ekstrom
6-08 Lois Bucher
6-10 Evelyn Johnson
6-10 Owen Grote
6-11 Beth Iverson
6-12 Myrtle Patterson
6-13 Avery Elizabeth Swan
6-18 Kristen Carlson
6-19 Amanda Boan
6-25 Stewart Crockett
6-25 Cathy Jurgens
6-26 Kolten Peterson
6-28 Karen Carlson
6-29 Aimee Louaillier
6-30 Nathan Leith
STEWARDS IN FORMATION
Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12
Do you ever worry whether young people will carry on the important values that we, as adults, have? Do you worry that they won’t follow the same faith practices that you practice? Do you worry that they don’t have the same faith that you have?
Ancient texts actually indicate that these questions have been on the minds of adults for thousands of years. We worry about “what the youth are coming to.” The answer seems to depend on what kind of persons we are as adults and parents. It also seems to be about the relationship that we have with our children and youth.
In this context, we’re really speaking about adolescents, because they are in the critical maturing years. Research indicates that this time in everyone’s life is when there is an interest — conscious or unconscious — in something bigger than ourselves, and connecting to it. And if they don’t encounter the God that Jesus pointed to, they’ll find other, much lesser, gods.
The point is that how we approach stewardship/faith/life plays a big part in how our children will approach all of this.
But here’s where “the plot thickens,” as it were: we’re all on a journey (and probably at different places in that journey), all adolescents at times. We need to ask whether we have encountered the God-Within-Us, and are connected to something bigger than ourselves. (LifeKeys, anyone?) Since we’re all “young” in some fashion, we shouldn’t despise it, as the scripture states.
So we’re all in Stewardship Formation and need to support each other in our discerning and connecting in ways that produce gratitude and generosity.
Mark Hartwig
Ministry of Stewardship
It is month 2 of our project and it just gets more fun every day! Yes, more demolition! Most of the west wall at the back door has been stripped down to block. The north wall windows are gone and so is the lowest brick ribbon. Wow what a surprise, no insulation to be found, in fact, in some places you can see kitchen light. Speaking of the kitchen, there has been a chronic problem with the water pipe freezing. Now we know why. In addition to adding insulation, we are going to run that pipe inside the kitchen (not in the wall) to help keep it warm.
The metal studs are up in the new toilet rooms and copper tubing is in. The ladies have 3 sinks, 3 stalls and a handicapped stall. The men have 2 sinks, 2 urinals, and 2 stalls (one handicapped accessible). The entrance to the new corridor is punched through and finished. These bricks were salvaged from the original wall and it looks perfect. The stone to be used for sills and coping turned orange after it was washed on the mock up on the west side. The new stone not only is a good match and doesn't turn orange but it comes from Illinois so it has less shipping time.
Good news is we have had some cost savings, due to creative and alternative thinking on Chuck Cassell’s part. Bad news is there are surprises in the walls. There are pipes to nowhere, mystical venting and holes. Good news, no skeletons!
We look forward to getting some our new windows as early as next week. The bottom row is rectangular and they come in first. The top row is arched and they take longer. The window demo guy cut himself and shattered a window but he is ok now. The wooden frames from the windows and some shades are being saved for Habitat For Humanity (if they want them). Pat is going to call ComEd to see if they will recycle the old window air conditioners (maybe get a credit for new ones?) I always hope for the best.
The plumbing contractor is Emil. Pray for him. He has faced down some interesting and unexpected circumstances. Yesterday I watched him melt down some lead from an old pipe to make a sealant for the rerouting he was doing. Very interesting.
Well, all in all things are moving right along. It is gratifying to realize we are working with a great crew. All skilled craftsmen, they are careful and considerate and CLEAN. I'm so happy that for all that is going on, we are still able to do what we do as a church. Tom and Catherine have more to do but they too are excited by what they see happening, so remember to thank them.
Beth Mitchell
6-07 Cassidy Sell, Rachel Ruf
6-21 Anna Halfpenny, Savannah Lile
6-28 Grace Anne Aldred, Abby Garcia
6-07 - Penny Donehoo
6-21 – Evelyn Johnson
6-28 – Liz Schaaf
6-07 Adam McCoy
6-21 Lee Ellsworth
6-28 Tracy Grote
6- 07 Ron & Liz Schaaf
6-21 Stewart Crockett
6-28 Paul & Tracy Grote
6-07 Jennifer & Curt Phillips
6-21 Karen Carlson, Glenna Preradovic
6-28 Penny Donehoo, Linda Taylor
6-07 Kirsten Pedersen
6-21 Chris & Kathleen Mau
6-28 Adam McCoy & Michael Blackwood
6-07 Jodie Stackowiak, Kirsten Pedersen, Laura McMinn, Cherie Murphy, and Sandy Dalton
6-21 Walt Kilmanas, Ron Banwart, Lorri Powell, and Karen Carlson
6-28 Jim Schock, Deborah Treacy, Chuck Zimmerman, and Sandy Dalton
The United Church of Christ.