This Week at First Pres! February 24 thru March 2
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Joy in the
Deep Freeze
This week’s eNewsletter feature story
is written by Caryl Weinberg,
FPCE director of missions.
Greetings!
“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” Psalm 65:8 NIV
Several weeks ago at our weekly staff meeting, we spent time discussing the subject of joy. The conversation led to a couple of questions: Can you “teach” joy? Can it be mentored? Though we never came to a definitive conclusion, it caused me to think about the Overnight Shelter ministry that was happening around the same time.
For two weeks, beginning the end of January, First Presbyterian Evanston hosted between 35 and 50 homeless guests each night over one of the coldest spells in Chicago history. Along with five other faith communities in Evanston, First Presbyterian agreed to
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CELEBRATING 150 YEARS
OF GOD'S GRACE!
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divide the winter nights between December 1 and March 10 among us, making sure that our homeless brothers and sisters would have a warm and safe place where they could both relax and sleep. Coordinated by Interfaith Action of Evanston, this was the first year we were open every night regardless of temperature. And with the shepherding of Charlene Parris, First Presbyterian members stepped up to the challenge with over 35 volunteers filling nearly all the 75 opportunities to serve.
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150th Anniversary Plaque installed in Narthex
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A plaque commemorating our 150th anniversary as a church was installed and unveiled last week. Quoting from the same prayer used when founding Pastor Noyes first dedicated the church, the plaque included the anniversary logo. Thank you to all who were involved in coming up with the concept, wording, design, fabrication and installation of the plaque.
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Our Adult Education session this week will be led by Rev. Doug Bradshaw at 10:30 am Sunday Morning in the Dining Room. Doug is the executive director of Facing Forward to End Homelessness, a non-profit agency providing home, help and hope for individuals, families and veterans in the Chicago area. Doug got his M.Div from Trinity and served as the Associate Pastor at River Glen Presbyterian Church. Prior to that, he was here at FPCE serving for many years as director of junior high ministries and young adult ministries. He’ll be providing his perspective, this morning, on the sermon topic “How Can I Know God Personally?”
Our final week of the Explore God discussion group meets in Room 102 of the church on Tuesday evening at 7 pm. The group will view and discuss two Explore God videos.
Newcomers are welcome!
Sunday, March 3, we will hold our Annual Youth Sunday Worship services at 9 and 11:30 am. Please join us for this creative celebration of God’s goodness!
Rehearsal for the Youth Sunday services will take place Saturday, March 2, 2-4 pm. All 6th-12th grade youth are invited to participate in Youth Sunday. Those participating need to attend the March 2 rehearsal. All 6th-12th grade youth are encouraged to participate in this opportunity to lead the congregation in worship. We have something for everyone to do! Speaking parts, singing parts, and ushering (for those that prefer not to be in front of the congregation.) Contact Pastor Amanda to let her know you are participating.
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We offer our heartfelt condolences to Caryl Weinberg, our director of missions, on the death of her aunt Carol Jean (Ehrenstrom) who passed away peacefully Sunday morning, February 17. She was the wife of Caryl’s mom’s youngest brother, Jim. Please pray for Caryl’s uncle Jim, cousin Barbara and the entire family.
A memorial service for Barbara Holm’s brother, Cyrus Yonan, will take place March 9 at Northbrook Village Church at 1 pm.
We celebrate with Benjamin and Janelle Fergus the birth of a daughter, Isla Dove Fergus, on February 2.
Bring the whole family for fun and games at the Family Fun Time this Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4 pm. Play active games in Roy Hall, board games in the Dining Room, or with preschool toys in the Parlor.
Senior Varsity will meet on Thursday, March 7. Registration will begin at 10:30 am, the presentation at 11, and lunch served at noon (cost: $5 for lunch). Please register by March 5 at the front desk by calling (847) 864-1472. All are welcome, especially seniors.
Save the date for the 150th Anniversary All-Church Variety Show! This event will be held Saturday, March 16, at 5 pm. Start planning your (or your group’s) act now with something to delight our church family! Contact Pastor Henry Coates at
hcoates@firstpresevanston.org to learn more!
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BOOK CLUB CHOICE CHANGED FOR MARCH 5
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Due to unavailability of the previously announced Book Club choice, we will read
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Sijie Dai. According to Amazon, this book “tells the story of two hapless city boys exiled to a remote mountain village for re-education during China’s infamous Cultural Revolution.” We will still meet March 5 at 1:30 pm in Room 102.
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REGISTER FOR MEN'S RETREAT MARCH 8-9
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All men are invited to the annual Men's Retreat beginning Friday, March 8 at 6 pm. We will be studying wisdom from the book of Proverbs, led by Dr. Scott Gibson, the professor of preaching at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary. He previously taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in the Boston. He has titled his talk "Wise Guys: Living Wisely in an Age of Folly". More information and registration forms are available at the reception desk or the Church
website.
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ASH WEDNESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER FUNDRAISER, MARCH 6
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Save the date! An Ash Wednesday Pancake Supper Youth Fundraiser will take place March 6, 5:45-6:45 pm in the Dining Room. Come enjoy yummy pancakes, bacon and sausage with your church family prior to the 7 pm worship service. All the proceeds will support the high school youth going on the summer mission trip to New Orleans. Cost: $5 per person, $20 per family.
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THANKS TO JEWELRY SWAP/MOVIE NIGHT PARTICIPANTS, HELPERS
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Thank you to all the women who attended our Annual Pre-valentine movie night Jewelry Swap. Thanks for your gifts to the ministries we support. Thank you, also, to all the members of staff who have gone above and beyond to help to make this event a success. Thank you to the women’s ministry team for their labor of love. God bless you all. Judith Hylton/ Chair FPC women’s ministry team.
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PRAY FOR OUR MISSION PARTNERS
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Please pray for the South West Bethel Synod of the Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia. They are overwhelmed with over 4,000 internally displaced Ethiopians who fled to the headquarters of the church about 2 ½ weeks ago, seeking refuge from violence happening in their home tribal areas. The Synod estimates people will be with them for up to 6 months. They are trying to find shelter and food. They estimate it will cost up to $300,000 just to provide basic needs for everyone.
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Crocheters are needed to help raise funds to support Congo’s Presbyterian schools. The demand for necklaces, made from crocheted "yarn" has increased and we cannot keep up with the demand. Strands of simple stitch crochet is all that is needed. We provide the yarn and directions. Your help can make a difference. Contact Barbara Spencer -
spencerb705@sbcglobal.net
or 847-446-7253.
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ASSIST IN CREATING SUNDAY WORSHIP
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Each and every FPCE member and attender (yes, you!) is warmly invited to participate in creating the weekly place and space for our corporate work and joy of worshiping our Lord. There are weekly roles and seasonal opportunities for every person in the room (yes, really, you!) to serve each other and our Lord by assisting with Worship, including serving as an usher, assisting with audio/visual aspects, reading scripture and prayers, assisting with hospitality, decorating our worship space, brainstorming creative worship ideas, singing with the Chancel Choir or Pop-Up Choir, and singing or playing an instrument with the Worship Band. Chat with Hannah McConnell or e-mail her at
hmcconnell@firstpresevanston.org, and we can work together to find a role for you (yes…!) in your current season at FPCE.
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GUIDELINES FOR CLOTHES CLOSET DONATIONS
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The Deacons appreciate our church’s great generosity in making donations to the Deacons’ Closet, but do ask that certain guidelines be observed in the condition of items being considered as donations for the use of our visiting brothers and sisters in need. When choosing clothes or household items for donation, please ask yourself the following questions:
- Are these items seasonally appropriate? (We have no storage space for off-season clothing.)
- Are these clothes and shoes clean? (We can only accept and distribute clean things.)
- Is this item in good enough condition that you yourself might wear it? (No tears, rips, holes, or lasting stains are presentable.)
At present time, we no longer have a need for paper bags to pack up our visitors’ selections.
We DO have a need for volunteers to help us out on Saturday mornings when the Closet is in operation. We are open the first and third Saturdays of each month. We sort donations from 8-10 am, and we assist our guests with finding clothing items from 10-noon. Please contact Cynthia Bridges,
cbridges1345@gmail.com, if you are interested in pitching in and helping out.
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PRAYER GATHERING HIATUS - KEEP PRAYING
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Because of the additional Explore God events on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings,
we will not be holding our regular bi-monthly Wednesday Night Prayer Gatherings again until March 13.
The FPCE pastoral staff would ask that the congregation continue to be in prayer for the impact God would have on the church and the community at large through the Explore God teaching series, Sunday morning Adult Education events, and group studies. Thank you!
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CHURCH CAMP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
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Registration for Church Camp at Timber-lee is now open! Due to limited slots, families are encouraged to register their children ASAP. All 2nd-5th graders (completed grades in Spring 2019) are encouraged to grab a friend and sign up to spend a week growing in Christ in God’s creation at Camp Timber-lee. 2nd and 3rd graders can attend July 7-10 or 11-13 (Camp Start), 4th and 5th graders can attend July 7-13 (Classic Camp). Cost: Camp Start $135, Classic Camp $320. These prices reflect a subsidy from FPCE. The registration deadline is March 20. Registration details and instructions can be found
on this download, on the Children’s table near the Front Desk, on the registration page of the website, or by contacting Pastor Amanda.
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First Kids Choir has resumed! Children in 4-year-old pre-K through 5th grade meet from 4 to 4:45 pm to sing. From 4:45 to 5:15 pm, children in 2nd through 5th grades ring chimes.
Planning for the summer? Remember to add FPCE’s Vacation Bible School to your plans. This year’s session will be held August 5 through 9, 9-11:45 am.
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Middle School Youth Group (NUBS) meets each Friday, from 7-9 pm, on the top floor in the Middle School lounge. Friday, Feb. 22, we will enjoy snack, play some games and explore different ways to pray.
High School Youth Group (PYGS) meets each Sunday afternoon, from 4-6 pm, in the basement youth lounge. This Sunday, wear your pajamas and bring your favorite pancake topping! We will enjoy a snack of breakfast foods, play some games and nail down our plans for Youth Sunday!
Registration is now open for Middle school Summer Mission Immersion Experience! All 6th-8th graders (completed Spring 2019) are invited to join us June 23-26 as we serve our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Chicago area. This will be a fun way to get to know one another better and learn about what it means to serve and live out our faith. Cost: $100, scholarships are available. Registration deadline: Sunday, March 3.
Registration forms can be found here, at the youth board near the front desk or by contacting
Pastor Amanda.
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More details about Youth events can be found in our weekly email. Text YOUTHGROUP to 42828 to subscribe!
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YOUNG ADULTS AND FAMILIES
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Family Open Gym
Thursdays, 4-7 pm, Roy Hall - Open for parents and their children to come run around, shoot some baskets, play some games. No need to RSVP; just show up and have a great time!
This month’s women’s basketball pick-up game will be held at 7:30 pm on February 28 in Roy Hall. Normally, these games are held on the third Thursday of each month. All skill levels and abilities are welcome! Reach out to Kathy Grant,
kgrant@depaul.edu with any questions.
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Homework help at New Life!
FPCE is now providing homework help/tutoring to the children at the New Life shelter, only 5 minutes from the church. There are currently at least ten school-age kids in the shelter, and ideally we'd like to have one volunteer for each child (as well as volunteers to play with the younger kids). We are there Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 8 PM. Tuesdays are also possible. Email Tom Alrich at
talrich@hotmail.com
or Dane Watkins at
creativedane@sbcglobal.net
.
Are you interested in becoming a regular visitor to one of our homebound members? If so, Friends in Christ would love to hear from you! Whether you are an old pro at visiting, or are willing but would like a little training, please step forward and call Bonnie Kath (847-507-4146). There is someone out there who would love a visit from you!
We are looking for volunteers once a month to run our projection slides on Sundays at 10 am in the summer, and 9 am and 11:30 am during the school year. Training provided. Contact Neal Ostrovsky at
nostrovsky@firstpresevanston.org.
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Do you need a ride, a meal or someone to run an errand for you? A member of
Friends in Christ
is ready to help with your need. Please call Bonnie Kath at 847-507-4146.
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Christ Caring for People through People. Stephen Ministers are lay people trained to care for someone going through a difficult time by listening, supporting, praying and encouraging. If you could benefit from this confidential ministry call RuthAnn Ostrowski at 312-613-0644 for more details.
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The Counseling Center (TCC)
provides professionally trained Christian counseling in our own facility. Contact TCC Director Charles Miyamoto at 847-864-9133.
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In cases of after-hour emergencies,
please call our emergency answering service
at 866-259-7088.
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019
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Summary notes from the January Session Meeting are available
here
.
The most recent summary of the Chicago Presbytery Meeting is available
here
.
Paper copies are also available in our literature racks.
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1427 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1472
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