January 24, 2019
Greetings!
This Week:

Friday 1/25: OA at 9 am, Alanon at 7 pm
Saturday 1/26: Saturday Meals Program at 8 am, Kindermusik at 8 am
Sunday 1/27: Confirmation Class at 8:15 am, Worship 10 am, Crockpot Sunday at 11:15 am, Green Team Meeting at 11:15 am, Ring and Sing/Treble Choir at 11:15 am, OA at 7 pm
Monday 1/28: Hooks and Needles at 7pm, AA at 7:30 pm
Wednesday 1/30: Be Still and Know 12 Step Meeting at 4 pm, Carillon Handbell Choir at 7:30 pm
Friday 2/1: OA at 9 am, Alanon at 7:30 pm
Saturday 2/2: Saturday Meals Program at 8 am, Kindermusik at 8 am, All Ages Choir Rehearsal at 10 am
Sunday 2/3: Confirmation Class at 8:15 am, Worship at 10 am, Fellowship Hour at 11:15 am, Ring & Sing/Treble Choir at 11:15 am, Called to Care at 11:30 am, Messy Church at 4:30pm, OA at 7 pm
Budget Amendment
At the Annual Congregational Meeting on January 20 th , the 2019 budget was approved with an amendment to provide a 2.5% raise to staff with a start date before July 1, 2018. In order to keep the budget balanced as proposed by the Budget Committee, the amendment was presented and approved under the premise that the funds necessary would be gained through increases in pledges and reallocation of funds budgeted for Ministry of Property. Though the Ministry of Property and Communications have offered a portion of their budgets, there is still a gap to meet the approximate $4,500 increase projected for these raises. If you are willing to increase your pledge amount to assist in funding this amendment please contact the Main Office .
Harvest Home Dinner
The results are in: the Harvest Home dinner raised $719.55, benefiting the youth and adult work trips. Thank you for your support!
Ministry Minutes
You can access meeting minutes for all Ministries and Teams from our by clicking here. Remember, we are Accepting All!
Food Pantry
For January, we would especially appreciate donations of oatmeal, pasta, and crackers. Donations of any nonperishable food items will be gratefully accepted.
Saturday Meals Program
It was pizza day at the Saturday Meals Program on January 13. Warren and the group made the pies fresh & hot in our kitchen. Thank you to all who volunteer for this program!
Altar Flowers
The 2019 altar flower sign up is in the Founder's room. There are many open dates ready to be filled. You may sign up in the Founder's room or by contacting the office . The cost of altar flowers is $40. Please pay by cash or check at least two weeks prior to your flower dedication date. If you have any questions, please contact Janet Bednar.
The Ministry of Missions Thanks You
The Ministry of Missions wants to thank all of you for your generosity in 2018 to the four Special Funds of the national UCC. You contributed a total of $2,340! The breakdown is as follows: One Great Hour of Sharing, $820; Strengthen the Church, $236; Neighbors In Need, $454; and the Christmas Fund, $830. What a generous congregation we are! Your donations are appreciated by so many people we will never meet but who are grateful for all the help that the UCC provides to them.
Crockpot Sunday
Join us immediately following worship on January 27th in the Dining Room to share a meal and welcome the New Year! The Ministry of Nurture will provide bread & butter, desserts, and beverages. You are invited to bring a crock pot creations, side dish, or salad to share. Or just bring yourself and enjoy this special coffee hour.
Hooks and Needles
As the new year begins, the Hooks and Needles group is embarking on a new mission. In addition to the prayer shawls and baby blankets that we make for the church, we will also make baby layette items such as blankets and newborn hats for Pillars Community Health in La Grange for the moms in their health system. If anyone would like to make items for this cause, whether or not you can make it to the 2nd & 4th Monday get-togethers at the church, we would be delighted to pick up your crocheted or knitted items! Hooks & Needles will meet next on January 28 th at 7 pm in the Family Room off the Chapel. Contact Claudia Byrne at 708-205-1409 or email her if you have questions or would like a pick-up. Thank you!
Green Team News
The Green Team of FCCLG had a busy and productive year. In January, representatives from local, state, and national environmental groups (including the Sierra Club, Morton Arboretum, SCARCE, and a local solar ambassador) gathered at the church for an informational meeting at which they learned of the many environmental efforts going on and how they might get involved. Here's a full report of their 2018 activities .

Microfibers Part 2
A couple of Tidings ago, we learned that synthetic fabrics like nylon, acrylic, and polyester (the fleece and yoga pants we love) shed millions of microfibers when they are washed. The microfibers travel through our waterways, polluting shorelines and being consumed by fish and other wildlife. What can an individual do? Here are a few suggestions:
  1. Buy clothes made from natural fibers.
  2. Use liquid laundry soap instead of powder. Laundry powder scrubs and loosens more microfibers.
  3. Use the coldest wash setting you can. Higher temperatures release more fibers.
  4. Wash synthetic clothes less frequently and for a shorter duration.
  5. Buy a Guppy Friend wash bag, which traps the fibers.
These suggestions and more can be found at the Plastic Pollution Coalition's website .

Soles4Souls
Soles4Souls believes everyone around the world deserves a good pair of shoes. Drop off your gently used shoes, rubber banded together, in the box provided at the Sixth Avenue entrance. Your donation will be shipped to needy souls in developing countries. Thanks to those who have already donated shoes. Fifteen souls are probably dancing in them now! Got any more? The need is great. People have asked "Where do the shoes go?" Since Soles4Souls began in 2006, they’ve distributed over 30 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. But EVERY SINGLE ONE of those pairs makes a difference in people’s lives.

Wine Corks Recycling
Deposit your natural wine corks in the red box provided in the Styrofoam collection closet at the bottom of the stairs by the Sixth Ave/Parking Lot entrance. This natural cork is repurposed to make surfboards, footwear and insoles and helps provide a living to the workers.
Green Team Meeting
The next meeting of the Green Team will be Sunday, January 27, at 11:15 in the Drawing Room. Anyone with an interest in the environment is welcome to attend.
Evening Book Club
We will meet January 31 st at 7:30 in the Chapel conference room. Our original book choice, Educated , has been put on hold as there are hundreds of people on the wait list. Instead, we will read The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens, an award-winning mystery-thriller and book club favorite that will keep you mesmerized to the end.
All-Ages Choir on February 3 rd
We will celebrate the wonders of God's work in our world and communion. Music for this service will be rehearsed on Saturday 2/2 from 10-11am in the choir room. All singers 3rd grade and up are welcome. Singing parents are welcome to bring younger children to the rehearsal. Our little ones will add rhythm and hand claps to the festivities. Please sign-up with Ryan .
Social Concerns Book Club
There There by Tommy Orange examines what belonging and memory mean for Native Americans. The Cheyenne and Arapaho author follows a large cast of Native Americans as they journey to a Pow Wow in Oakland, California. Join us for this pilgrimage on March 11 at 7:30 pm in the Family Room off the Chapel. This novel has made many best books of the year lists for 2018, so reserve soon if you want to get a copy from the library.
Save the Date
On Saturday, May 18th from 2 - 4 pm, our church will be packing food at the Feed My Starving Children facility in Aurora. This is an all church activity for ages 6 to 96. Please put the date on your calendar. Details and sign up will follow.
C an’t Get To Sunday Services?  
You can watch them live on Sunday at 10 a.m. on the web.  Click here   to see Sunday worship streamed live and to view past worship services as well.  Or follow these instructions on how to watch through your Roku Device. Contact the church office to have the worship bulletin emailed to you on Fridays. This ministry is brought to you by the estate of Ginny Palansky, and maintained by your gifts, offerings, and pledges.
Attracting Friends Retaining Members Nurturing Spirits 
Developing Partners
Give to FCCLG when you shop on Amazon! Click the logo for our Amazon Smile page.
  Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God. Please lift these friends, family, and members in your prayers.
Emil Balz.
Jameson Hogan.
Tom Pitman.
The family and friends of Jeff Berman, Carol Berman’s son.
Prayers for Jim and Vi Clayton.
Audrey Johnson, a friend of Saturday Meals Program.
The Maley family.
Prayers for Margaret Melkonian.
Fred and Vera Weiss.
Brian White, who awaits healing.
Those killed, the injured, and their families in acts of violence.
Those at the border.
Those living in fear and without hope, and those who use fear to control others.

If you would like to send your thoughts and prayers to someone listed above, please use one of the Touch Cards in your pew. Place the completed card in the offering plate and the office will address and mail it. Thank you for reaching out to others. We encourage you to let us know if you or someone you know is hospitalized or receiving medical treatment. Due to HIPAA privacy laws, we are not notified by hospitals or doctors. If you know someone who would like a visit from the church, please advise the minister or the office.