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Partners in Christ's Service
Christian Education
Martha Mendoza, Director
Music
Richard Stultz, Director & Organist
Church Office Staff
Margaret Bixler, Office Manager
Mary Anne Bixler, Admin. Assistant
Pastoral Support
Rev. Dr. Jan Davis
Rev. John Gibbon
Emeritus Minister
Rev. Dr. Ernest H. Huntzinger
Contact Us
Phone: 630-832-2580
Fax: 630-832-9142
Facebook:
YouTube:
For general information about our Boards and Committees, click here. |
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It has been a year now since our Search Committee was formed and went into action to find a new minister. At this point in time, twenty-four candidates have sent us their profile for consideration, six have been interviewed via Skype, and we have narrowed that group down to two finalists.
In early January one of those finalists came in for the weekend for a "second interview" and an opportunity to learn more about our church. In addition to the interview was a tour of our sanctuary and other church facilities, a lunch with the committee, a guided tour of Elmhurst, and dinner with us at a committee member's home. The next morning the committee had the opportunity to hear this candidate preach at a local church.
Our second finalist will be coming in soon for a similar weekend experience, after which we hope to be in a position to make an offer to one of them.
Once our chosen candidate accepts our offer, we will schedule a weekend for the candidate (and their family) to be introduced to our congregation at an informal reception. The next day, the candidate will lead our Sunday service and give a "trial sermon." Immediately following the service, a congregational meeting will be held to hear a detailed report from the Search Committee, discuss the terms of the Call Agreement, and vote on the recommendation to hire this candidate.
We are very excited about the two candidates we are now focusing on. Please pray for the members of our Search Committee that we may be successful in our discernment.
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Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Sunday, February 26, 2017
As a Congregational Church, we meet as a whole on an annual basis to tend to various business matters of the church. There will be some very interesting and important items on this year's agenda, so please plan to attend. We also need a quorum to conduct business, so your presence is doubly important. See you in the Sanctuary immediately following our 10 a.m. worship!
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by Allen Sloma and Bob Kanzler, Co-Chairs
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Mark your calendars and plan on joining us. We are thrilled to present some familiar faces for our upcoming Sunday services.
FEBRUARY
February 5 - Rev. John Gibbon
February 12 - Rev. William Grice
February 19 - Rev. William Grice
February 26 - Rev. John Gibbon
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Winter weeding of the church archives will be the number one focus in the month of February for the Heritage Bunch. Organizing efforts will include scouring unlikely spaces hiding history's treasures.Items such as bulletins, correspondence, photos, tapes, and directions will be properly stored to insure their preservation. Even though there is much to do, we continue to seek contributions of church memorabilia from your archives.
Meetings are the second and fourth Wednesday in the parlor beginning at 10:00 a.m.
All are invited. |
| CHRISTIAN EDUCATION UPDATE |
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"Love your neighbor as yourself". There is no commandment greater than these". Mark 12:31
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Thank you for the amazing support that was
demonstrated
at our Chili Cook-Off.
So grateful to all who brought a delicious chili and those who came down for the festivities. A big shout out of thanks to the parents and youth that helped in so many ways.
Our three winners were:
Carol Ringhoff - Blue Ribbon
Carrie Webster-Stone - Most Interesting
Amarelis Morales - Love the Name
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All middle school students are invited to an evening of service
Friday, February 10th
6pm to 10pm
We will be meeting at First Congregational Church and carpooling to Feed My Starving Children Packing Center located at 555 Exchange Court Aurora, Illinois. Youth from St. Peter's and Bethel United Churches of Christ will be joining us. Adult chaperones and drivers are needed. Please touch bases with Martha Mendoza if your youngster can join us. Friends are welcome. Parental consent forms are being mailed out.
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LENTEN CANTATA PREPARATION BEGINS SOON
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by Dick Stultz, Director of Music
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For our Lenten cantata this spring, I have decided to do one last performance of "Requiem" by British composer John Rutter. This beloved composition is an inspiration to all who hear it.
Rehearsals for "Requiem" are scheduled for Thursdays, beginning on March 9, from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m. Please consider joining the choir for this very special musical service. It will be performed as part of our Palm Sunday service on April 9. 
On Easter Sunday, we will again have the brass players from York High School joining with the choir and organ for a magnificent Easter service. They will accompany the glorious traditional Easter hymns and anthems.
Let's fill the sanctuary for these two important services on the Christian calendar.
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Sunday, February 5, is the final day to bring in your shopping bag with donations for our annual Souper Bowl Sunday collection. If you are unable to get out and shop but would like to participate, checks made out to the church with Souper Bowl Sunday in the memo line can be dropped in the offering plate, given to Dan Briggs, or dropped off at the church office.
Feeling lucky? There is also opportunity to support this great cause by playing the Souper Bowl Squares Game located in the foyer. Each square is $5 and the score at the end of each quarter of the Super Bowl Game will determine the four winners. Questions can be directed to Dan Briggs at [email protected] or 630-427-7879. Thanks for joining us in this much needed effort to serve our community.
Spotlight on Community Service
We are highlighting a program we supported this year through the Noisy Offering - CASA DuPage. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is an adult volunteer group, sworn in by the juvenile court, to serve as advocates for children who find themselves in the legal system through no fault of their own. Each volunteer advocate becomes a "Friend of the Court" - a spokesperson. When a child is in the court system, an objective voice is needed to provide the judges with independent information about the best interest of the child for a safe, nurturing and permanent home.
The mission of CASA is to recruit, train, and support volunteer citizen advocates in effectively speaking in the best interest of abused, neglected, and abandoned children in the DuPage juvenile and family court systems. They are a non-profit organization that strives to serve every child in the DuPage courts. We are very proud of the support we are able to give them through your generous donations.
For more information or any questions you may have about the program or becoming an advocate, contact our own Kim Brigman, who is also a volunteer with the CASA program.
Many thanks to all who use and support our Mission Rides Program. The monies donated this year went to fund some great causes the church supports including Elmhurst Walk-in Assistance Network, St. John's UCC in Chicago, United Community Concerns Association and Northeast DuPage Young Life. Our "What's Fair is Fare" program is getting our members to their destinations in the company of a church friend with a smile and uplifting conversation. If you are in need of a ride or interested in becoming a driver, contact Linda Donohue at 630-564-5808 or [email protected].
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by Karen Pachyn, Chair, Green Team
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Green Team Tip of the Month - February 2017
Lots of beverages will be consumed on Super Bowl weekend, so I thought it might be a good time to remind everyone that we are still collecting pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House. Be sure to put out a bowl or mug to collect them at your party. A simple gesture, like removing the pop tab from any can, collecting them in a bag or jar in the kitchen and then bringing them to church when you've got a critical mass, can help ease the stress experienced by a family dealing with a sick child.
How does it help? The Ronald McDonald Houses collect the pop tabs and take them to their recycling partner, United Scrap Metal, who gives them the market value of the recycled materials, plus a charitable match. More than $40,000 a year has been raised from this program which provides 800 nights of care and comfort for families who save an estimated $160,000 in hotel and food costs.
Why pop tabs? They're relatively clean, compact and have higher grade aluminum in them than the rest of the can so it has a higher recycling value. A pop tab from any kind of aluminum can (soda, carbonated water, beer, soup, fruit, pet food, etc.) is valued. Bring them to church and deposit them in the basket in the Tree of Life Foyer. The Green Team will take it from there. The pop tab basket is in the same shelving unit where we collect batteries, light bulbs and ink cartridges.
Thanks for your help!
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Supporting our members during everyday occurrences, ailments, and even the passing away of a loved one is highest among our calling as a church. During this period of a pastoral search, Rev. Jan Davis will be available for pastoral care. She will be reaching out to those of us who have enjoyed regular pastoral visits and for any emergency that may arise.
If you have any pastoral needs, please don't hesitate to contact the church office at 630-832-2580.
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CELEBRATIONS AND CONCERNS
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February
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| Mary Swanson |
1 |
| Marcia Fleming |
2 |
| Julia Morrow |
4 |
| Sheila Kurzweil |
9 |
| Cady Hamby |
12 |
| Lu Krass |
13 |
| Ron Teuber |
15 |
| Steven Ogdon |
19 |
| Mary Jane Pitlock |
19 |
| Greg Hamby |
19 |
| Susan Graybill |
22 |
| Bill Stratton |
22 |
| Lucais Hennen |
25 |
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| Judy Bixler |
Michael Magana |
| Betty Bryan |
Sue Antoinette Martin
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| Robert Cooper |
Dorothy Moncrieff
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| Aleta Dallas |
Sung Lee Moy
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| Dan Dallas |
Lori Myers |
| Jenny Donahue |
Joseph Organ |
| Wayne Dreyer |
Kim Rudakas |
| Yvonne Dreyer |
Arnold Schenk |
| Katherine Ehrenberger |
Charlotte Schenk |
| Earleen Graham |
Karen Sloma |
| Bertha Hahn |
Mary Strock |
| John Hampton |
1st Lt. Edward Tolle
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| Lu Krass |
Emma Underwood
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| Amy Kritz |
Grace Watry & Family |
| Sandy Lange |
Diane Wells |
| Amy Lynch |
Welzenbach Family |
Death Notice
We are so sad to announce that Dora Schenk passed away this past week. She and Arnold have been church members since 1965. Dora will be greatly missed. A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, February 5, from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. here at First Church. Reception from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. immediately following in Fellowship Hall. All are welcome.
If you would like someone added to the prayer list contact Mary Anne Bixler at [email protected] or 630-832-2580. Thank you
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February
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Event/Room
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Time
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1
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Staff Meeting - Office |
9:00 a.m. |
| 5 |
Communion Sunday Worship Service with
Rev. John Gibbon |
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. |
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8
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Heritage Bunch - Parlor |
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| 9 |
Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
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7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
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10
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Youth Service Project "Feed My Starving Children" |
6:00 - 10:00 p.m. |
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11
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PADS |
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| 12 |
Sunday Worship Service with Rev. William Grice
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10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
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| 14 |
Missions - Blue Room |
7:00 p.m. |
| 15 |
Staff Meeting - Office |
9:00 a.m. |
| 16 |
Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary |
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. |
| 19 |
Sunday Worship Service with Rev. William Grice |
10:00 a.m. |
| 21 |
Trustees Meeting - Parlor |
7:00 p.m. |
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22
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Heritage Bunch - Parlor
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10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
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| 23 |
Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
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7:00 - 8:30 p.m. |
| 26 |
Sunday Worship Service with Rev. John Gibbon |
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. |
26
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Annual Meeting of the Congregation |
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| 28 |
Council Meeting - Blue Room |
7:00 p.m. |
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