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"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
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Questions?
Comments?
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First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette
600 Ninth Street
Wilmette, IL 60091-2779
847-256-3010
[email protected] |
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Dear fpcw family and friends,
How is your Lenten journey going? We're about halfway through the 40-day stretch between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
Traditionally, the season of Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and repentance. It's a time to give something up or take something on, to do something different for this tithe of days in the year. I'm reminded of a cartoon I once saw where a person said to his friend, "I usually give up coffee for Lent, but this year I decided to just give up. Like, in general." Or the one where a husband says to his wife, "I've decided to give up my New Year's resolution for Lent."
Sometimes we mistake the means for the end. The point is not to give something up or take something on for its own sake, but so that we can draw closer to God, to grow in love for God and neighbor, to lean more into the abundant life, the life that is truly life. The goal is more deeply following the Way of Jesus in our own lives - to embody his love, his compassion, his forgiveness, his hope, his peace, his wisdom, his joy.
In the remaining 3.5 weeks of Lent, I encourage you to do that. To take something on and/or give something up that helps you grow in love of God and neighbor.
This Lent, I've been reading through the Gospel of Mark - one little chunk per day, spread out over 40 days. (I have the breakdown if you'd like to catch up and join me.) Also, one other thing. I'm giving up despair and pessimism, which I've felt more than I'd like to admit in recent weeks. Reading the news so regularly, it's hard not to.
How about you? Give it some thought today. God will bless whatever you choose to do.
With gratitude and Lenten hope,
Pastor Jeff
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Sunday, March 11, 2018
4th Sunday in Lent
8:45 am
Childcare
Confirmation Class
Adult Faith Formation
10:00 am
Worship and Congregational Meeting
10:15 am
Sunday School
Club 56
11:15 am
Fellowship Hour
5:00 pm
Tower Youth Benefit Dinner
Tower Benefit Dinner
Please join us this Sunday, March 11th, 5 pm in the WMFC for the ever popular Tower Benefit Dinner. This is a great way to support our youth and the summer mission trip to Jacksonville, Florida. Come for the excellent lasagna dinner, desserts, silent auction, fellowship and bingo. This is an great evening event for all ages.
Faith at TED
Runs through March 25, 8:45 am, Upper Room
TED conferences have become a global phenomenon. A forum for sharing groundbreaking ideas in short talks that challenge listeners to imagine and strive for a better world. In this class, we're going to watch six TED talks that relate to our faith. Each week, we'll watch one and discuss it. Join us as we learn from Greg Boyle, Brene Brown, James Forbes, Eric Whitacre, Pope Francis and Alain de Botton. Sunday,
March 11 - Eric Whitacre, A Virtual Choir 2000 Voices Strong.
Coffee Hour Hosting
Please consider hosting a Fellowship Hour this winter and help to continue our wonderful tradition of hospitality. Please check out the
SignUpGenius on the News & Publications page of our website
and choose a Sunday that works for you.
Chili Cook-off
Join us this Saturday, March 10th, 5-8 pm. We'll gather at John and Amy Hariston's home, 631 Greenleaf, Wilmette, for this ever popular all-church event. Come warm up with hot chili and cheery fellowship. Bring a pot of chili or side dish and a beverage to share. Questions? Please contact
Fran Langewisch.
Go Green Wilmette - Environmental Fair
This Sunday, March 11th, from 12-4 pm, at the Michigan Shores Club.
The theme is "What's Your Story?" This family friendly event draws more than 1,400 people and features more than 100 exhibits. Click here to learn more about this annual Environmental Fair.
Winter Film Series
The next film in this series will be shown at
fpcw
on Sunday, March 18th, 11:30 am in the WMFC and a light lunch will be served. We'll see the award winning film "Screenagers," which probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, and depicts the messy struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction.
Lounge Refresh
In the coming weeks, the staff and Building and Grounds will be embarking on an exciting "refresh" of our lounge and creating a welcoming space for Sunday morning coffee, meetings and other fellowship gatherings. The funds for this project were donated specifically for this purpose a few years ago, and are not out of our operating budget.
The space will be redesigned to have a "Welcome Cafe" feel with smaller tables and seating along with comfortable couches and chairs. New flooring, improved lighting, and paint are also in the plans. We hope that this project will not be too disruptive, but the room may not be available for a brief period of time. The goal is to have this project completed around Easter.
We are replacing almost all of the current furnishings. Some of the furniture has been offered to our refugee families. If anyone is interested in making a donation to the lounge project, in exchange for taking some of the current furniture, it will be on a first come, first serve basis. Some of the better furniture is being priced to sell, including the china cabinet, and piano. See Madeline Weston if you would like to inquire about anything currently in the lounge.
Mission
Hands of Peace
Is a mission
partner.
Fpcw is looking for families who could host 1 or 2 Israeli or Palestinian teenagers in their homes during their 2018 summer program. Hands of Peace is an interfaith program that helps develop peace-building and leadership skills in American, Israeli and Palestinian youth. The Glenview-based p
rogram
serves 46 teens every summer. This year's program runs July 11-July 30 and takes place at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Glenview. Hosting one of these young people is a very rewarding experience. Please visit the HOP website for more information or contact Kim Sterling who is the co-chair of the HOP housing committee at [email protected]. This is a great opportunity to further the cause of world peace.
Stock the Shelves
Is a partnership between
fpcw
, Sukkat Shalom and First Congregational Church Wilmette who, as people of faith, are responding with God's love and welcome as refugee families make new lives in the Chicago-land area.
The mobile store is the missing link that unites an abundance of North Shore resources with under-resourced refugee families, as these families continue to build sustainable and thriving lives. Please
click here
to read more about how you can support the Mobile Store mission.
To help make donations easy,
click here
. A wish list has been set-up and donations made will be shipped directly to the church. Thank you for your continued support.
Wilmette Food Pantry
fpcw
contributes food and non-food items to the Wilmette Food Pantry. Donations may be left in the containers located in the
fpcw
parking lot lobby.
Need some glad tidings?
More activities, inspiration, and cheer
available on our
website
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